Donald Traxler's Poetry

Monday, January 7, 2019

What Spectral Image

What spectral image,
shadow-born,
captures the light
and makes it its own,
as if reclaiming a heritage,
an inalienable right?

ᎢᏳᏃ ᏂᎯ ᏚᏄᏩᏎ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏰᎵᏊ
ᏗᏄᏬᏁ ᎠᏥᏄᎪᏩᏍᏗ ᎤᏴᏠᏁ,
ᎠᎴ ᎯᎦ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏰᎵᏊ ᎠᎵᏍᏓᏴᏗᏁ
ᎠᏥᏄᎪᏩᏍᏗ ᎠᎪᎾᏁ,
ᏂᎯ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎣᏎ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ.

If you wear only enough
clothes to banish the cold,
and eat only enough food
to banish hunger,
you will live long
and happy.

ᏅᏓ ᏘᏲᎭᎵ

ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ 49

ᎢᏳᏃ ᏂᎯ ᏚᏄᏩᏎ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏰᎵᏊ
ᏗᏄᏬᏁ ᎠᏥᏄᎪᏩᏍᏗ ᎤᏴᏠᏁ,
ᎠᎴ ᎯᎦ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏰᎵᏊ ᎠᎵᏍᏓᏴᏗᏁ
ᎠᏥᏄᎪᏩᏍᏗ ᎠᎪᎾᏁ,
ᏂᎯ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎣᏎ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ.

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Naked Wisdom 48

ᎠᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗ, ᎠᏰᎵ ᎧᏃᎮᎸᎯ ᎠᎴ ᏧᎾᏍᏗ, ᎠᏠᏯᏍᏗᏍᎩ ᎤᏲᎲᏎᎸ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ ᎥᎿᎢ. ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏟ-ᎢᏲᏍᏛ ᎠᏓᏍᏕᎸᏗ Ꮎ ᎢᏧᎳ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᏏᏅ ᎠᏲᎱᏎᏗ ᎢᎬᏩᏓᎴᎩᏁ.

There must be a middle way between tradition and change, including loss of language. It is better to save what we can than to lose it all.

He Lurks in the Shadows

He lurks in the shadows
at the edge of reality,
as if entering
from another
stage.
He is unknown
and unrecognized,
and only disguised
by a hat.
His spectral shape
moves through the night,
and thrives
in a waning light,
until he vanishes
just like
that!

Ask him your answers,
for questions he would tell,
like a rosary's
shining beads.

Donald Jacobson Traxler

ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ 48

ᎠᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗ, ᎠᏰᎵ ᎧᏃᎮᎸᎯ ᎠᎴ ᏧᎾᏍᏗ, ᎠᏠᏯᏍᏗᏍᎩ ᎤᏲᎲᏎᎸ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ ᎥᎿᎢ. ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏟ-ᎢᏲᏍᏛ ᎠᏓᏍᏕᎸᏗ Ꮎ ᎢᏧᎳ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᏏᏅ ᎠᏲᎱᏎᏗ ᎢᎬᏩᏓᎴᎩᏁ.

The Desire Body

The desire body
is also the illusion
body, a collection
of atoms,
mostly space,
held together
by the bedrock
of divinity.