Between happiness now, and happiness tomorrow: a vast canyon beckons
I watch you smile as you lick your Artic ice-block;
Let these cream puffs + Coca Cola decorate my love for you,
My future wife: stop the tickling of the clock.
You are an excellent kisser already, I can still feel your lips on mine
As you ride pillion on my decrepit Raleigh—
I can still feel the heat of your body, how fast you’ve grown, sweet child o’ mine!
Watch as the dreams I have of you rocket sky high.
You will meet other men tomorrow, and the next day—a different man every day
I will walk past you on the street and you won’t say hi:
Heaven to you is nothing but child’s play.
But I’m like you too, I wear things out at the speed of light
Me and Tuti + Greet + Amoi… I break hearts left, right and centre,
Love is dangerous, and gone before you know it.
– Chairil Anwar, in Djakarta Dalam Puisi Indonesia (Ajip Rosidi, ed.), Dewan Kesenian Djakarta, 1972, p. 42.
Divagyrations 