John Smelcer

SONG OF THE RAIN

A soft rain begins to fall.

A ground squirrel comes out from the rocks,
his small head cocked—

both of us listening to the raindrops singing.





C’ELIIS CAAN

Caan teztl’iit’.

K’agi niyaa ts’es tah,
nekey’nez’aan—

nadaeggi nae dziteł’aa ts’en can laa.






Translated from the Ahtna Athabaskan language of Alaska by the Poet