“Becoming the Sky That Shelters”: A Poetry Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA)
Illustration of "Becoming the Sky That Shelters": A Poetry Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Satu Pena Sumbar, Kreator Era AI, FSM, ACC SHILA). Image Source: Starcom Indonesia's Artworks No. 925-280 (Assisted by AI).
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Becoming the Sky That Shelters
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
The sky is pelted with curses,
struck by the prayers of the weary,
mocked by those who fail to see wisdom.
Yet, does it not remain blue?
Does it not shelter every head,
never choosing between the faithful and the lost?
O my heart, become the sky.
Do not shatter under hatred,
do not crack from another’s anger,
do not collapse beneath slander and envy.
Stay high, stay vast,
for patience is but the mirror of faith.
And was not the Prophet Muhammad,
spat upon, stoned, reviled—
yet he remained a sky,
sheltering even those who wounded him?
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2016
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Becoming a Stone That Does Not Explode
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Once, I longed to be lightning—
to burn arrogance with fire,
to tear the heavens in a storm of rage.
But, O God the Almight,
O Allah, You created the stone,
and a stone does not explode beneath the weight of feet.
A stone does not curse the wind that spits upon it,
does not wail when trampled by the proud,
does not weep when the sun sears its back.
It only waits in silent patience,
like the Ka’bah, unmoved by the insults of time.
Then make me a stone, O Lord,
a stone that does not erupt,
that bears the embers in its chest,
for anger is but a phantom fire,
and I refuse to be its fuel.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2016
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An Ocean That Never Turns to Mud
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Anger comes like a raging tide,
dragging debris of wounds,
sweeping away remnants of past betrayals.
Yet an ocean remains an ocean,
it does not become mud,
even as it cradles the corpses of human pride.
O God the Almight,
O Allah, teach me the vastness of the sea,
that I may hold sorrow without turning impure,
that I may swallow hatred without becoming bitterness,
that I may remain salty with wisdom,
not tasteless with the world’s fury.
For the ocean swallows anger,
not to destroy—
but to return it as rain,
falling as mercy upon the thirsty earth.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2016
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A Mountain That Does Not Complain
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
A mountain does not grieve when landslides wound it,
does not wail when its belly is torn open,
does not rage when miners rip its skin.
It waits in silence for the decree of its Lord,
for it knows—destruction is not death,
only a journey toward a new form.
O my soul, become a mountain.
Stand firm though the world cuts deep,
stay silent though the storms may strike.
For it is the twigs that snap and cry,
but the great remain unshaken,
needing no voice to prove their strength.
And was it not on a mountaintop
that Prophet Moses sought the voice of his Lord?
Not among the ruins of those too weak to endure?
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2016
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Light Never Curses the Night
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Light never curses the night,
never shouts at the darkness that swallows it.
It simply exists, no matter how small—
and by its presence alone,
the night begins to wane.
O my soul, be light.
Do not wage war against hatred with hatred,
do not blame the darkness,
just shine.
For those who stoke the fires of anger
only feed the shadows that haunt them.
But those who remain light,
will outlast the hands of time.
And was not the Prophet Muhammad called Siraj Munir,
a lamp that illuminates,
never a fire that destroys?
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2016
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A Fire That Bows Upon the Prayer Mat
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena Sumbar, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
We seek refuge in You,
O God the Almight,
O Allah
Lord,
before anger burns through our veins,
before our tongues become unsheathed swords,
before our hands turn to lightning
that shatters the silence of peace.
As You made the fire cool for Prophet Ibrahim,
quench this blaze within our chests.
Turn its embers into candles of devotion,
burning not in rage,
but in remembrance of You.
O Allah, You have shown mankind—
Prophet Nuh’s patience, vast as the sea,
Prophet Ismail’s surrender, smiling beneath the blade,
Prophet Yusuf’s light, undimmed by the depths of a well.
Then grant us their patience, O Lord,
not a patience that merely endures,
but one that forgives with strength.
We lay this fire at the feet of Your words,
we bow it upon the prayer mat of time,
that it may melt into the tasbih of dawn,
dissolve into the prostration of the universe.
If life is still best for us,
make us earth, swallowing the fire.
But if our appointed time has come,
let us be water, returning to Your sky.
O Allah, adorn us with faith,
like trees in Jannah that never wither,
like stars that never fade into night,
like Zamzam’s water, never drained,
quenching the souls that thirst for You.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2016
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* The Indonesian title of the poetry collection above is “Menjadi Langit yang Memayungi”.
* The collection of poems entitled “Becoming the Sky That Shelters” above, comprising works No. 1–6 (along with several unpublished pieces of a similar nature), was originally written bilingually (English-Indonesian) by Leni Marlina in 2016—purely as a personal endeavor, a quiet devotion to the art of words. Each year, these poems were revisited, refined, and, for the first time, gradually released through digital platforms in 2025.
Leni Marlina is deeply immersed in the literary world, actively contributing as a member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA, West Sumatra branch) since its establishment in 2022 and as part of the Indonesian Creators Community in the AI Era. She is also a member of the International Poetry and Literary Writers Community (ACC) in Shanghai and, in 2024, was honored with the title of Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association. Her literary journey includes prior engagements with the Victorian Writers Association in Australia. Since 2006, she has dedicated herself to academia as a lecturer at the English Language and Literature Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang.
Beyond academia and literature, Leni has founded and led numerous digital communities centered on language, literature, education, and social empowerment. These include:
✨ World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC) – A global sanctuary for children’s literary expression [https://shorturl.at/acFv1]
✨ Poetry-Pen International Community – A haven for poetry across borders
✨ PPIPM (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat) – A home for poetic thought and societal inspiration [https://shorturl.at/2eTSB; https://shorturl.at/tHjRI]
✨ Starcom Indonesia Community (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia) – A hub for creative entrepreneurship [https://rb.gy/5c1b02]
✨ Linguistic Talk Community – A space for deep linguistic discourse
✨ Literature Talk Community – A gathering for literature lovers
✨ Translation Practice Community – A bridge between languages through translation
✨ English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C) – A movement fostering language, literature, literacy, and cultural growth
Leni Marlina’s unwavering commitment to literature and education continues to inspire, bridging words and worlds through her works.
