Donald Traxler's Poetry

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Garden Snake

A man and a woman,
innocent in their nakedness,
and a deceitful, talking snake.

What could go wrong?

But why blame it on the woman?
Why make her the receiver
of the snake's treacherous message?

This calumny has followed
our mothers and sisters
for three thousand years.

Only by redressing their grievances
can we go back to the garden.

Thursday, July 9, 2020

It Is Told

It is told in the Middle East
that Rabbi Yeshua said,
"this world is a bridge . . .

Il est dit au Moyen-Orient
que le rabbin Yeshua a dit:
"ce monde est un pont ...

Se cuenta en el Medio Oriente
que el rabino Yeshua dijo:
"Este mundo es un puente ...

É dito no Oriente Médio
que o rabino Yeshua disse,
"este mundo é uma ponte. . .

"cross over it,
but do not build your house
upon it."

"traversez-le,
mais ne construisez pas votre maison
dessus. "

"crúzalo,
pero no construyas tu casa
sobre él ".

"atravessá-la,
mas não construa sua casa
sobre ela ".

Photo: The Poet at Work

The Poet at Work

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

We Are Bodies of Light

We are bodies of light,
and souls of starry night.

itsula gesvase ayelvdi ulvsada,
ale adanvdi noquisihi svnoyi.

ᎢᏧᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏰᎸᏗ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ,
ᎠᎴ ᎠᏓᏅᏗ ᏃᏈᏏᎯ ᏒᏃᏱ.

Nous sommes des corps de lumière,
et des âmes de nuit étoilée.

Somos cuerpos de luz,
y almas de noche estrellada.

Nós somos corpos de luz,
e almas da noite estrelada.

He Is what He Sees

atsvyai gesvase na gowatase,
aseno nasquv siquu.

ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ Ꮎ ᎪᏩᏔᏎ,
ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᏍᏋ ᏏᏊ.

He is what he sees,
but also more.

Il est ce qu'il voit,
mais aussi plus.

Él es lo que ve,
pero tambien más.

Ele é o que vê,
mas também mais.

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Change

"I want you to remember that sound," my mother said,
as a steam locomotive blew its full-throated
whistle in the morning distance.

"There aren't very many of those left," she said,
"and soon they will all be gone."

My mother knew that change was coming,
but how much, she didn't know.

Her prediction came true,
and I remember the sound,
but now change is our only hope.

Change is now our only hope.

Monday, July 6, 2020

He Is of the Trees

He is of the trees,
he is of the earth,
part of all he sees,
and not of greater worth.

The nature of which he's part
informs his heart.
He is that which he sees,
he is of the trees.