mikaeljohani

Madeleine menungguku*

Aku baru selesai makan makan malam dengan temanku Jean Villeri, si pelukis. Sudah jam sebelas lebih. Aku sudah di dalam metro menuju rumah. Ganti kereta di Trocadero. Badanku terasa berat dan capek, namun aku merasa senang mendengarkan suara kakiku di terowongan stasiun. Tiba-tiba, seorang perempuan yang sedang berjalan ke arah berlawanan menyapaku, kelihatannya ia telahContinue reading “Madeleine menungguku*”

Sinta*

: Oka Segara and then in these woods is there anything greener than a woman’s cambium radiance a single leaf drifted to the ground a bloodless wound in the tree dew on the surface of the leaf as salty as river sand the language of life eternal and immovable : how deep do roots goContinue reading “Sinta*”

akenuruba/kururu mono to wa/shiri nagara/nao urameshiki/asaborake kana*

hari masih subuh. aku tahu malam bakal datang lagi, aku benci hari ini. *oleh Fujiwara No Michinobu, diterjemahkan dari versi Inggris Kenneth Rexroth: In the dawn, although I know/It will grow dark again,/How I hate the coming day.

anti-matter

not that it matters, but i want to know who did the bad bad georgia brown tattoo on the back of your neck and the sickly montmarte whore in a top hat on the small of your back not that it matters, but the bajaj was painted aubergine purple yesterday and your skirt got stuckContinue reading “anti-matter”

ghost ship

jadi dia tidak peduli dengan perasaan bekas suaminya? sudah lamalah. bayangkan perasaan bekas suaminya melihat progres desain kartu undangan pernikahannya dengan suaminya yang baru. dan dekorasi bemo benhil sebagai mobil penganten mereka. tapi tidak mungkin dia tidak peduli. mungkin saja. tidak mungkin dia tidak pernah memikirkan. memikirkan mungkin iya, tapi dia pasti akan berpikir, ya,Continue reading “ghost ship”

Bondi*

The muck of the sea, liquid rust on the crest of the waves. Coke bottles, lighters, Havaianas, a set of house keys on a BMW key ring. *a rewrite of ‘Bondi’, from my first book We Are Nowhere And It’s Wow

Scholarships to the Harvard University School of Native Orientalists – Eligibility Requirements

Preference will be given to applicants who serve as sycophants at the Goenawan Mohamad Academy of Other Unfinished Things otherwise known as Komunitas Utan Kayu, Jakarta. Applicants will possess: No degree, but absolute faith in Bernard Lewis Disgust at own country or whatever the antonym is of chauvinism A total lack of understanding of internationalContinue reading “Scholarships to the Harvard University School of Native Orientalists – Eligibility Requirements”

paring

it’s a matter of paring. paring down yr thoughts to the most relevant at hand. paring down yr feelings to the least hype-y. paring down yr life to the most essential tasks. gusti allah paringono sabar.

bacin

i miss those days when i thought i sucked at everything i had no friend. there seemed to be no way out of that kind of depression. then i’d go for a walk. or a ride on my specialized bike (RIP :(). and nothing would change. i’ll read a book. the ordeal of gilbert pinfold.Continue reading “bacin”

BABY FALUDA

suatu malam sehabis nonton pan’s labyrinth aku duduk bersama pacarku di kursi bar di komala’s dia memesan baby faluda, aku teh masala dan kami ngobrol wek wek wek dua jam-an tentang salesman setengah baya, ibu-ibu india yang menjepit bawang bombay mentah dengan ujung jarinya, dan brondong-brondong di oh la la di seberang yang mencoba menyembunyikanContinue reading “BABY FALUDA”