I know, you must be sick of me. I’m sorry. I don’t want to do this either. Who would? But I need the money to pay for my school fees, my brothers’, books for my sister, ribbons for her hair. My parents are not rich, not like yours. But I have hopes too, dreams, plansContinue reading “"Praise be to God, and to you too."”
Author Archives: mikaeljohani
1945, February 14
*Supriyadi led the PETA rebellion in Blitar He saw how the Japanese forced farmers to hand over all the rice they had, even though they were running out of food, down to sewing tree barks into clothes, dying as romusyas, etc. He hated the Japanese so much he decided to go ahead with his rebellion.Continue reading “1945, February 14”
SURAT SEORANG ISTRI PEDAGANG KELILING DARI DESA CH’ANG KAN
Waktu itu rambutku masih dipotong batok Aku bermain dekat gerbang, aku cabuti bunga-bunga. Kau datang di atas égrang, seperti kuda goyang, Berputar-putar, mengayun serangkai plum biru di tangan. Umurku empat belas tahun waktu kau memilihku jadi istrimu, Sekalipun aku tak pernah tersenyum. Aku menunduk, menatap tembok, Kau memanggilku seribu kali, aku tak pernah menengok. UmurContinue reading “SURAT SEORANG ISTRI PEDAGANG KELILING DARI DESA CH’ANG KAN”
Kampung
If I want to get out of this country, Sis, it’s because the air here is stuffed with dead thoughts. Nothing’s changed, just like back then at the kampung. People are busy setting up rules for alley traffics night patrols and registrations at the kemantren. Everyone wants to have his say on morals, politics, religionsContinue reading “Kampung”
The Story Of An Old Man Who Died This Morning As Told By A Friend Who Said He Will Be A Poet One Day
This is sad. An old man at the intersection, dead, next to the traffic lights. His belly, concave like glasses for the near-sighted. A fly, knee deep in sores full of pus, electric yellow like the colours of the prostitutes’ clothes. I’m standing next to him. And I’m thinking. Am I going to end upContinue reading “The Story Of An Old Man Who Died This Morning As Told By A Friend Who Said He Will Be A Poet One Day”
Honey Bird
A purple Bird Breaks honeycombs Petals of flowers Pink The top Of the Dadap Tree: the bird Thin-winged Crook-beaked Grey black leaves Tremble Branches Give way when The beak The wing suddenly Swerve Wind on its Tail. The ends of Branches Blue. (F Rahardi, from Kompas, 7 May 2006, p. 30)
Re: City [2]
this city is full of legs young, clean-skinned, wild the legs of a golden afternoon 6 january 2003 jakarta in my head (ode_wallad a.k.a. Edo Wallad in Antologi Bunga Matahari, Avatar Press 2005, Jakarta, p. 146)
Bukit Timur (1083)
Hujan mencuci Bukit Timur, bulan bersinar terang; Tadi orang kantoran bergegas, sekarang petani melenggang. Untuk apa khawatir tentang bongkah batu di pinggir jalan? Aku pukul dengan tongkatku, aku suka suaranya menggema. (Su Tung-p’o, dari Selected Poems of Su Tung-p’o, terjemahan Burton Watson, Copper Canyon Press 1994, hal. 104)
Pohon Lokus Mekar (v.2)
Dari antara hijau kaku tua cling! dahan patah datang putih manis Mei lagi (William Carlos Williams, dari Selected Poems, New Directions Publishing Corporation 1985, hal. 94)
Di Stasiun Metro
Muka-muka dalam kerumunan itu; Kelopak bunga pada dahan hitam, basah. (Ezra Pound, dari Selected Poems 1908-1969, Faber and Faber 1977, hal. 53)
Divagyrations 