ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ / If I Can't

ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ
ᎯᏁᎩ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᎤᏚᎩ
ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎠᏎᏱᎩ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ
ᎯᏁᎩ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ.

If I can't
say it in the
Udugi language,
maybe I don't
need to say it.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ

ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ
ᎯᏁᎩ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᎤᏚᎩ
ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎠᏎᏱᎩ ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ
ᎯᏁᎩ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ.

I Have Gone Native, I Suppose / ᎠᏯ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ ᏁᏰᎯᏯ, ᎠᏯ ᎢᏰᎵᏍᏓᏎ

I have gone native, I suppose:
I would prefer to live naked
in the forest, with the Tlánuwa*
for my company,
and not in the unfair thing
that clothes have built,
a cage of hypocrisies
and lies.

Is it too late
to open the door
and escape?

*Tlánuwa is a giant, mythical bird, in some ways similar to the Garuda of South Asia.


ᎠᏯ ᏗᏙᎳᎩᏎ ᏁᏰᎯᏯ,
ᎠᏯ ᎢᏰᎵᏍᏓᏎ:
ᎠᏯ ᎤᏟᎬᏰᎸᏚᏎ
ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎢ ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎢᎾᎨᎢ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᏝᏄᏩ ᎬᏙᏗ ᎤᎾᎵ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ,
ᎠᎴ Ꮭ ᎯᎠ ᏂᏚᏳᎪᏛᎾ
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ,
Ꮎ ᏗᏄᏬ ᎠᏁᏍᎬᏗᏎ,
ᏗᏓᏍᏚᏗ ᎤᏠᎾᏍᏙᏗ ᎠᎴ
ᎦᏰᎪᎩᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ.

ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏴᏍᏗ ᎣᏂᏱᏳ
ᎠᏍᏚᎢᏗ ᎠᏍᏚᎵᏁ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᎵᏘᎢ?

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler