Naked Wisdom 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.

When others were hunting buffalo, we lived in one place and planted corn and other food crops. At the time of the Trail of Tears, we could read, but many of our white neighbors could not. In Oklahoma, most whites and almost all of the other Indians could not read. We did not learn that from white people. Unfortunately, we did learn some bad things from them.

Text © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler

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.