ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ 63

ᎢᏳᏃ ᏐᎢ ᎦᏃᎯᎵᏓᏗᏎ ᏯᎾᏌᏁ, ᎢᏧᎳ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎢᏎ ᏌᏊ ᎭᎾᏂ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏫᏍᎩᏎ ᏎᎷᏁ ᎠᎴ ᏐᎢ ᎠᎵᏍᏓᏴᏗ ᏠᎨᏏ-ᎠᏫᏒᏗᏁ. ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᎾᎿᎢ ᎨᏥᎧᎲᏓ-ᎠᏁᎬᎢ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎢᏧᎳ ᏰᎵᏈᏎ ᎪᎵᏱ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤgᏗᏗ ᏲᏁᎦ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏈᏎ. ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎻ ᎭᏫᎾ, ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᏲᏁᎦ ᎠᎴ ᎾᎥᏂᎨᏍᏗ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏐᎢ ᏴᏫᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏈᏎ ᎪᎵᏱ. ᎢᏧᎳ Ꮭ ᎦᏙᎴᏈᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ ᏲᏁᎦ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎢᏧᎳ ᎦᏙᎴᏈᏎ ᎢᎦᏛ ᎤᏲᎢ ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏗᏁ ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ.

If the Body Still Serves

If the body still serves,
we will inhabit it,
and when it doesn't,
we won't.
Some whom we loved
have already gone on,
making them
closer than ever.

We feel their presence,
and are stronger for it.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Twangy Ballads

Twangy ballads
on digital downloads.
the end of the Trail of Tears.

ᎠᏍᏛ-ᏕᎦᏅᏅ ᏗᎧᏃᎩᏛ
ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏒ-ᎠᏍᏆᎪᏗᏍᎩ ᎦᎴᏍᏗᏗ ᎾᎿ,
ᎤᎵᏍᏛ ᎨᏥᎧᎲᏓ ᎠᏁᎬᎢ ᎥᎿᎢ.

Text © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ ᎤᏬᎯᏳᎭᏎ

ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ ᎤᏬᎯᏳᎭᏎ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲ ᎭᏫᎾ ᎠᏲᎱᎯᏍᏗ ᎤᎶᏐᏅ? Ꭵ, ᎠᏯ ᎤᏬᎯᏳᎭᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ. ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᏗᎪᏏᏐᏗ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎠᏯ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎠᏒᎾᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩᏁ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

ᎢᎦᏛ ᎠᏯ ᎦᎸᏗᏎ ᎬᏙᏗ

ᎢᎦᏛ ᎠᏯ ᎦᎸᏗᏎ ᎬᏙᏗ
ᎠᎴ ᎢᎦᏛ Ꮭ,
ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᎨᏴᏗ
ᎨᏒᎢᏎ ᎤᏤᎵᏛ ᎤᎾᎵᏗ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᏯ ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏙᏎ ᎾᏍᎩᏛᏁ
ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᎢᏧᎳ ᏗᏠᎯᏍᏓᏎ
ᏏᏴᏫ-ᏐᎢ ᎠᏏᏉ.

We Wolves Know

We wolves know
a thing or two
about you dogs.
First, we know
where you came from,
and how you got
from there to here.
We tolerate you,
we accept you,
sometimes we mate with you,
but we cannot
be you.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Many Things Change / ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᎢᏴᏓᏎ

Many things change in our lives,
but what is essential does not.

ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᎢᏴᏓᏎ
ᎠᏆᏤᎵ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎠᏎᏃ Ꮎ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏛ Ꮭ ᎢᏴᏓᏎ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.