Solomon Ratt: My Life

 

nipimâtisiwin:
âskaw pikiskâtan;
tâpiskôc mâna kapî
î-pî-nanîmohtîyân.
ᓂᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ:
ᐋᐢᑲᐤ ᐱᑭᐢᑳᑕᐣ᙮
ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᒫᓇ ᑲᐲ
ᐄ ᐲ ᓇᓃᒧᐦᑏᔮᐣ᙮
nipimâtisiwin:
mayaw kâ-pôni-piyakwîthimisoyân
nitati-asînamâkîthimison;
nitati-wâkôwîhison;
tipinawahk nimiskâson.
ᓂᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ:
ᒪᔭᐤ ᑳ ᐴᓂ ᐱᔭᑹᖨᒥᓱᔮᐣ
ᓂᑕᑎ ᐊᓰᓇᒫᑮᖨᒥᓱᐣ᙮
ᓂᑕᑎ ᐚᑰᐑᐦᐃᓱᐣ᙮
ᑎᐱᓇᐘᕽ ᓂᒥᐢᑳᓱᐣ᙮
My life:
sometimes it's a lonely place;
it seems as if, always,
I come to walk against the wind.

My life:
Once I quit thinking of only myself,
I begin to forgive myself;
I begin to reconcile myself;
I find myself shelter from the wind.
New poem in Cree by Solomon Ratt, 4 March 2016

MyLifePoster

Click here to download 11×17 pdf poster for printing.

 

2 Responses

  1. I would like to thank you for this poem and its original form. I teach English in adult education and, after studying the poem myself, I am eager to present it to my class(es) this term. I hope this is OK with the author, Mr. Ratt.
    I think this poem, in its beautiful simplicity, offers much wisdom to all, and I am so happy to share this piece of First Nations literature with my diverse population of students.

    1. Like all of the material we offer, we are pleased to see this poem used (properly attributed) in a teaching environment.

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