Poem by Leni Marlina
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A name falls softly through the pages of time,
a calling halts, trembling, at the edge of lips.
Yet a great soul—never begs, never groans, never claims.
A great soul is a prayer that walks unshod,
a blessing that drifts without sails,
a support that pierces the distance,
breaching the expanse of time itself.
We are still young:
our roots have yet to sink into the pulse of the earth,
our strength not yet tempered like the ancient forest.
So it is natural for things to slip, for moments to vanish.
Yet heed this truth of literacy:
errors are teachers,
and wisdom belongs to the soul that forgives,
like a primal spring flowing endlessly—
flowing, flowing, flowing—
without pause, without lament.
We see you labor, organizers drenched in sweat and dust, tasting no honey.
We see you labor, volunteers planting one foot before the other.
We see you labor, partners extending open hands.
And from such humble spaces,
a simple lamp is born,
its flame rising with the dawn of civilization.
Reverent greetings—to those who serve quietly, without expecting crowns.
Reverent greetings—to those who strike the first spark of struggle, unseen, unrewarded.
Reverent greetings—to you, and to all who arrive
with hearts full of luminous light.
If there is a wound—we stitch it with humility.
If there is goodness—let it bloom into example.
If there is a stumbling block—we meet it with patience.
But what we await most is the great soul!
A great soul begets example.
Example begets a nation.
A nation begets civilization.
And civilization—gives birth to light that serves humanity.
The coconut tree rises,
its trunk shaken by storms.
Corn stalks sway,
their leaves kissed by gentle wind.
We too learn from them:
stand tall in the storm, bow softly in the breeze.
For literacy is not merely letters, not merely books.
Literacy is the face of a nation.
And that face—must never be shadowed!
Must never be shadowed!
Must never be shadowed!
For literacy is not merely skill, not merely knowledge.
Literacy is the luminous heart of civilization.
And that light—must never dim!
Must never dim!
Must never dim!
A great soul… that is our legacy.
A great soul… that is our example.
PPIPM-Indonesia & PPIC, NKRI, 2025
Note:
Excerpted from the anthology “Learning and Struggling to Be a Great Soul” (LM PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, WCLC, Starcom Indonesia).
The Indonesian version of the poem is available in the official link below:
