Light Is Revealing / ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏓᏎ

Light is revealing.

ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏓᏎ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler

On His Terms

On his terms he meets the world,
and waits expectantly.
What was, is,
and what truly is,
will be.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler

The Gainford Blade

'Tis a hundred and thirty-five years
since the loss of ship and blade,
and more since the knife was made.
The hoary incrustation
on handle and sheath,
rock-like, full of shells,
bespeaks great age.
But still, though beyond the span
of a human life,
the age of the knife
is only double mine.

The sheath still carries the smell
of engine-room oil,
the owner's toil,
bringing closer
that fateful night.

"Nothing," says the Gainford blade,
"lasts like steel."

Nothing lasts like the smell
of oil and fear.

Nothing lasts
like sun and wind,
and sea,
and sea.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

In Darkness or in Light / ᎤᎳᏏᎨᏦ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎭᏫᎾ

In darkness or in light,
he is light.

ᎤᎳᏏᎨᏦ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ.