Donald Traxler's Poetry

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Blue Skies - The Naked Poet in Uruguay

My wife, Sandy, and I moved to Uruguay in January, 2013. We had already bought a house in Atlántida, Department of Canelones. Later on, we also bought a beach house in Aguas Dulces, Department of Rocha.

In mid-2013 we acquired a rescue dog, whom we named "Betty." She is still with us, and is now 7-1/2 years old. Getting her to the US when we returned was difficult and expensive, but was well worth it.

As you can see from the photograph below, our house had a swimming pool. We knew pretty much everyone in Atlántida's small expat community, and we gave frequent pool parties and dinner parties, especially in the earlier years.

Cleaning the pool was a chore that allowed me to have a year-round, allover tan. That was the good part. It was also a lot of work, and got to be harder as the years went by. It got to be too much, and I'm glad that we don't have a pool now.

Uruguay is a wonderful little country (population a little more than three million, of whom half live in the capital, Montevideo). As we got older, though, it became less practical for us to live there. We both look back fondly on the years we spent there. We returned to the US in April, 2019. Florida has many advantages for us, and we're happy to be here.

We have lived in several countries, and have visited many more. We wouldn't give up any of those experiences.

Monday, December 7, 2020

This Body Has Survived

This body has survived for

three-quarters of a century,

twenty-five or thirty thousand

risings of the sun.

This body has carried me

to school, to work,

to love, to being free

from daily labor,

and yet--

it is not me.

More naked I cannot be

until this body

sets me free.

99,000 Visits and Some Big-time Pirates

While I was looking the other way, we went from 98,000 visits to 99,000, and a day later we're at 99,309. This is largely due to concerted pirate activity from the United States and Japan. Should I take this (as well as other piracy from Russia, Germany, and other countries) as a compliment? My sister, who is a well established, prizewinning poet, has congratulated me. They will, after all, bear the costs of publication and distribution. But I still believe in authors' rights and intellectual-property laws, and will act accordingly.

My writing and photography continue apace, driven by a muse with a mind of her own. My "Upanishad" series is now up to eighty-six parts, with more definitely coming. I am hoping the series will eventually reach the sacred number of 108. I am also currently working on a short prose article that will explain how telepathy works, at least in my view.

Florida's short and mild winter is here. We have had low temperatures as low as 33° F, highs in the fifties and sixties. We are able to keep our well-insulated house at a comfortable 77°, so I still don't need to wear clothes at home. I guess I shouldn't complain about having to be at home almost all the time, due to the pandemic. I am not, though, getting the amount of sun that I would like. Fortunately, sun and moderate outdoor warmth will be back in February, if not sooner.

As usual, I would like to thank you all (even the pirates, I guess) for your continued interest and enthusiasm.