Who Am I? / ᎦᎪ ᎠᏯ?

"Who am I?"
"Who are you?"

ᎦᎪ ᎠᏯ?
ᎦᎪ ᏂᎯ?

I'll Burn My Mementos / ᎠᏯ ᎠᎪᎲᏍᏙᏎ ᎠᏆ ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏗ-ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏗᏁ

I'll burn my mementos
of the Summer of Love.
I am not a memorist.
I can only be what I am--
a naked poet
disguised as a clothed poet,
and a spewer of languages.

ᎠᏯ ᎠᎪᎲᏍᏙᏎ ᎠᏆ ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏗ-ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏗᏁ
ᎨᏳ-ᎪᎩ ᎥᎿᎢ.
ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎪᏪᎵᏍᎩ-ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏗ.
ᎠᏯ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ Ꮎ ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ--
ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎪᏪᎵᏍᎩ-ᎧᏃᎮᎸᏍᎩ
ᎠᏣᏅᏍᎩᏔ ᏥᎸ ᏗᏄᏫᏔ,
ᎠᎴ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ-ᏗᏓᎴᎲᏍᎬ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Naked Wisdom 60

ᎪᎳᎾ, ᎠᏴᏓᏆᎶᏍᎬ ᏥᏍᏆ,
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏛ ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎤᏚᎩᏁ,
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬᏁ,
ᎠᎴ ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎠᎵᎦᎵᏴᎯᏁ.

Golana, the Thunderbird,
is important because
we need hope,
we need strength,
and we need courage.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ 60

ᎪᎳᎾ, ᎠᏴᏓᏆᎶᏍᎬ ᏥᏍᏆ,
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏛ ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎤᏚᎩᏁ,
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬᏁ,
ᎠᎴ ᎢᏧᎳ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᎠᎵᎦᎵᏴᎯᏁ.

You May Think You Know Me

You may think you know me,
but who is it, really, that you know?
Is it the twenty-year-old,
still single and full of fire,
or is it the seventy-something,
on the cusp of entropy,
or any of the fugitive states of matter
in between?
No matter--
we are all here,
still struggling
to coexist.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

Naked Wisdom 59 (translation)

ᎪᎳᎾ, ᎠᏴᏓᏆᎶᏍᎬ ᏥᏍᏆ,
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᏥᏍᏆ,
ᏗᎬᏟᏐᏍᏙᏗ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬ,
ᎤᎳᏂᎬᎬ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᏙᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ.
ᎪᎳᎾ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏆᏤᎵ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎵᏍᎩ.

Golana, the Thunderbird,
is a spirit-bird,
symbol of strength,
power, and protection.
Golana is our protector.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ 59

ᎪᎳᎾ, ᎠᏴᏓᏆᎶᏍᎬ ᏥᏍᏆ,
ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏙ ᏥᏍᏆ,
ᏗᎬᏟᏐᏍᏙᏗ ᏄᎵᏂᎬᎬ,
ᎤᎳᏂᎬᎬ, ᎠᎴ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᏙᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ.
ᎪᎳᎾ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏆᏤᎵ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎵᏍᎩ.