Monday, June 15, 2020

Poet and Machine

He embodies all of nature,
the universe is his to create,
but he creates unfeeling machines
to silently do his bidding.

Sunrises and sunsets pass
while he trains his imperfect servant,
sending his words directly
to the heart of every being.







Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.

86,000 Visits and One List

Today we reached the milestone of 86,000 visits to this research, writing, and photography blog, since its inception three and a half years ago. It's a number that I like, and one that I would have to admit I never expected.

Sometimes I think I should separate the various components of the whole, putting them into different blogs. On the other hand, keeping them all together better reflects the way my life actually is. Not only that, but there is a tight relationship between the parts. Sometimes the poetry grows out of the photography, while at other times the latter is inspired and informed by the former. To put them all into separate blogs would be like separating my limbs from my torso.

Yesterday I published a list of more than fifty blog posts, going back at least a year, on the Synoptic Problem, Hebrew Matthew, and related topics. This became necessary because I was referring in recent posts to earlier ones, and could not remember exactly when I had published them. I hope the list will be useful to those who are interested in these areas of study.

The audience for this blog appears to be quite loyal, and it is certainly international, now including readers in more than a hundred countries. I am gratified by this growth. As usual, I want to thank you all for your continued interest and enthusiasm. Merci, todah, gracias, obrigado, wadó, ꮹꮩ.







Text © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler. Photo Credit: Fergus McCarthy, Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland. All rights reserved.

Will You Reject (+fr, es, pt)

Will you reject my work
because I live my life naked?
Is nature that far
from your acceptable traditions?
No matter--I will continue
to do what I do,
and live as I live.

Rejetterez-vous mon travail
parce que je vis ma vie nu?
La nature est-elle si loin
de vos traditions acceptables?
Peu importe - je vais continuer
faire ce que je fais,
et vivre comme je vis.

¿Rechazarás mi trabajo
porque vivo mi vida desnudo?
¿Está la naturaleza tan lejos
de tus tradiciones aceptables?
No importa, continuaré
hacer lo que hago,
y vivir como vivo.

Você vai rejeitar o meu trabalho
porque eu vivo minha vida nu?
A natureza está tão longe
de suas tradições aceitáveis?
Não importa - continuarei
fazer o que eu faço,
e viver como eu vivo.







Text and image © 2020 by Donald C. Traxler aka Donald Jacobson Traxler.