He Is Part of Nature / ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎢᎦᏛ ᎬᏩᎣ ᎥᎿᎢ

He is part of nature,
and can be no other.
He is every sister
and every brother.

ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎢᎦᏛ ᎬᏩᎣ ᎥᎿᎢ,
ᎠᎴ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎨᏒᎢ ᎧᏂᎩᏛ ᏐᎢ.
ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎤᎸ
ᎠᎴ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎤᏙ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

63,000 Visits

Today we are crossing the threshold of 63,000 visits to this poetry blog (since its inception in October 2016). It's been well under three years, so we are getting more than 20,000 blog visits per year.

This year, the world is in a mess. Most importantly, we are in a climate crisis, and politicians, who are willfully denying it, are prostituting themselves to the willful denial of their constituents, especially the wealthy ones, who can contribute more significantly to their campaigns. Systemic corruption runs rampant through our lives and through our institutions.

Each of us will deal with this in her or his way. Personally, I try to find inspiration in nature, in the remote past, and in a future that sometimes makes me shudder. I try to find inspiration in art, in photography, and in at least some of my fellow humans. When all that fails, my last resort is humor.

Thanks to all of you for your continuing interest and loyalty. ꮹꮩ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Jacobson בן נח Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

Triptych

From my chair,
I survey the world.
I can comment on what I see,
but can I change it?

We are hurtling through space--
in a race
to where?

In the end,
it all depends
on us.

Text and images © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.

I Am Black / ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎬᎾᎨ

I am black
and I am white,
and everything in between.
I am the wind in the pines,
I am Spirit.

ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎬᎾᎨ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏁᎬ,
ᎠᎴ ᎢᎬᏩᏓᎴᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ.
ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏃᎴ ᏃᏥᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏙ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

We Are One / ᎢᏧᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏌᏊ

We are one
and we are many,
sisters and brothers
waiting for the dawn.

ᎢᏧᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏌᏊ
ᎠᎴ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎪᏗᏗ,
ᎤᎸᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏙᏗ,
ᎠᎦᏘᏴ ᎤᎩᏥᏍᎬᏁ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

Both / ᎢᎬᎳ

We are both in there,
mates for life,
for always.

ᎢᏧᎳ ᎢᎬᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᎿ ᎭᏫᎾ,
ᎤᎾᎵᎪᎯᏗ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ,
ᏂᎪᎯᎸᎢ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.

If I Take My Clothes Off

If I take my clothes off,
you will tell me
that I am too bold.
If I put them back on,
you will tell me
that I lack courage,
and should stand my ground.
I have no time to listen--
I am already too old.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler.