The Nursery / ᏗᎦᏘᏗᏍᏗ-ᏗᏂᏲᏟ

In the nursery there are birds
and butterflies,
animals of every kind,
and a big box of toys.
We can be happy,
girls and boys,
if we survive
the nursery.

We shall live long lives
if the nursery
survives us.

ᏗᎦᏘᏗᏍᏗ-ᏗᏂᏲᏟ ᎭᏫᎾ
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏥᏍᏆᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎧᎹᎹᏗ,
ᏂᎦᏛ ᎤᏍᏗ ᎦᎾᏝᎢᏗ,
ᎠᎴ ᎡᏆ ᎧᏁᏌᎢ ᏗᏁᎸᏙᏗ.
ᎢᏧᎳ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ,
ᎠᎨᏳᏣᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏧᏣᏗ,
ᎢᏳᏃ ᎢᏧᎳ ᎬᎵᏱᎵᏐᏎ-ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎢ
ᏗᎦᏘᏗᏍᏗ-ᏗᏂᏲᏟ ᎤᎶᏐᏅ.

ᎢᏧᎳ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎣᏎ ᎦᏅᎯᏓ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲᏗᏁ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᏗᎦᏘᏗᏍᏗ-ᏗᏂᏲᏟ
ᎬᎵᏱᎵᏐᏎ-ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎢ
ᎢᏧᎸ ᎤᎶᏐᏅ.

Text © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

The Range of Light / ᎠᏍᏓᏅᏅ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ

The range of light
is the range of night,
from sleep
to lucid clarity.
From those extremes
is born the way
that leads us to
another day.

ᎠᏍᏓᏅᏅ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎥᎿᎢ
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏍᏓᏅᏅ ᏑᏃᏱ ᎥᎿᎢ,
ᎦᎸᏙ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ
ᏧᎸᏌᏓ ᏧᎸᏌᏙ ᏗᏜ.
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎦᎶᏒᏍᏔᏃᏗ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏕᏂᏔ ᏅᏃᎯ
Ꮎ ᏓᏘᎾᏎ ᎢᏧᎸ
ᏄᏓᎴ ᎢᎦ ᏗᏜ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler

Happy Birthday, My Friend / ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎤᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬ, ᎠᏆ ᎤᎾᎵ

Happy birthday, my friend.

I knew you before you were twenty,
and now you would be seventy-three.

I missed
the best part,
and so did you.

I will look for you
in the Summerland.

 ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎤᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬ, ᎠᏆ ᎤᎾᎵ.

ᎠᏯ ᎤᏅᏘᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ ᎤᏓᎷᎸ ᏂᎯ
ᎤᎯᏎ ᏔᎳᏍᎪᎯ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ,
ᎠᎴ ᏃᏊ ᏂᎯ ᎤᎱᏎ
ᎦᎵᏆᏍᎪᎯ-ᏦᎢ.

ᎠᏯ ᎦᏅᏗᎢᏎ ᎣᎯᏍᏗ ᎢᎦᏛᏁ,
ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᎦᏅᏗᎢᏎ ᎾᏍᏋ.

ᎠᏯ ᎠᏯᏍᏙᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ
ᎪᎩ-ᎡᎶᎯ ᎭᏫᎾ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler

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

ᎠᎦᏴᎵ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏚᎸᏫᏍᏓᎾᏎ / The Old Man Is Working

ᎠᎦᏴᎵ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏚᎸᏫᏍᏓᎾᏎ
ᎤᏤᎵ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏒ-ᎠᏍᏆᎪᏗᏍᎩ
ᎾᎿᎢ, ᎤᏰᎸᎭ
ᎪᎩ ᎤᏗᎴᎦ ᎭᏫᎾ.

ᏙᏰᎯ, ᎠᎦᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎾᎦᎵᏍᎬ
ᎠᎴᏫᏍᏙᏗᏎ.

ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ ᎤᏩᏒ-ᎠᏍᎦᏯ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᎾᏂᎥᏉ ᎠᏛᎦᏎ
ᎤᏤᎵ ᎧᏁᎢᏍᏗᏗᏁ.

ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ ᎤᏩᏒ-ᎠᏍᎦᏯ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏰᎵᏊ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ.

ᎩᎵ ᎠᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎠᎢᏒᏁ.

Ꮎ ᎧᏁᏍᏗ-ᎢᏯᏛᏁᏙᏎ
ᏗᏄᏬᏁ.


The old man is working
at his computer,
naked in the summer heat.

Outside, the rain and lightning
have stopped.

He wonders whether anyone
hears his words.

He wonders whether
there will be enough time.

The dog wants a walk.

That will require
clothes.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler