Between Earth and Divine Love: Leni Marlina’s Essay on Rizal Tanjung’s Poem “To Heaven” (2025)
By Leni Marlina
[FBS UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena- West Sumatra, WPM-Indonesia, ACC SHILA]
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There are poems you read, and there are poems you experience. To Heaven by Rizal Tanjung is the latter—a pilgrimage in verse, a prayer veiled in silence. It is not merely a poem; it is a breath drawn from the depths of sorrow, released toward a light unseen.
The title appears simple: To Heaven. But to a discerning reader, it is not a map of geography, but a compass of the soul. It marks a journey inward, into that hushed chamber where the Divine dwells closer than the jugular vein. Through its three sections—Struggle, Sacrifice, and Love—the poem traces a spiritual ascent toward divine grace.
I. A Spiritual Cartography: The Three Movements of the Soul
The poem unfolds like a spiritual staircase—rising from darkness into light, from despair to surrender, from brokenness to divine longing. Its tripartite structure echoes the Sufi path: mujahadah (struggle), tazkiyah (purification), and mahabba (divine love).
Its opening line reads:
“At the trembling edge of the day, beneath a sky that holds wounds and whispered prayers…”
These words are more than verse; they are an invitation. We step into a liminal space—between the visible and the invisible. Here, the poem opens a spiritual landscape, where the soul does not merely walk but kneels.
II. A Language of Silence That Speaks Loudly
Tanjung’s poetic voice resists ornament. It does not dazzle with rhetorical flourish. Instead, it wields quietude as its deepest aesthetic. In this silence, the sacred whispers.
“Carrying what cannot be seen: a heart once broken… and scars from inner wars never televised.”
This line strikes with softness. In a world obsessed with confession and spectacle, Tanjung uplifts the invisible as sacred. Faith, in his poem, is not announced. It trembles silently—in a breath, in a bowed head.
III. A Struggle Without a Sword
The first section—Struggle—offers not warfare but jihad al-nafs, the inner battle. The true adversary is the self.
“Wrestling with desires disguised as delight.”
The line is brief yet saturated. Tanjung does not shout. He unveils. Sin does not arrive with horns—it seduces with sweetness.
And the weapon?
“No sword in his hand, only patience that trickles from his silent sweat.”
This is the real jihad: not bloody, but bruising. Not glorious, but purifying.
IV. Sacrifice: Where Silence Becomes Prayer
In Sacrifice, the second section, we encounter zuhd—detachment—rendered in luminous language.
“Surrendering laughter to silence, weaving hunger into prayer.”
In a world addicted to indulgence, this poem sanctifies lack. Each renunciation becomes a bridge to God. Even forgiveness is not mere ethics, but an echo of the Divine:
“Forgiving the unforgivable—for the sake of the All-Forgiving.”
This is not about morality. It is about mirroring the sacred. About becoming the shadow of the Light.
V. Love: When Tears Speak in Tongues
The third section—Love—is the poem’s summit. But this is no sentimental love. This is annihilating mahabba, where the soul melts in longing.
“A love that defies words—drawing tears to the prayer mat without any cause the mind can name.”
At this point, we are no longer reading; we are weeping. The poem ceases to explain God. It begins to tremble with Him.
And finally:
“My Beloved needs no flowers, only a heart ablaze.”
The Divine does not seek outward offerings. He waits for the fire within. This is love not as possession—but as sacred disappearance.
VI. Mercy: An Ending That Opens Further
In its final breath, the poem refuses to boast of deeds. It surrenders:
“Not because we are worthy, but because He is Most Merciful.”
This is the most honest ending. After all the striving, all the sacrificing, we fall not into certainty but into grace. Here, the poem no longer speaks. It bows.
Conclusion
“To Heaven” is not a poem to be merely analyzed—it is one to be dwelled in. It offers sanctuary to all: the broken, the weary, the ones longing for home. In its hushed verses, Rizal Tanjung does not preach. He merely invites us to walk—slowly, tenderly—from this wounded earth toward a sky steeped in mercy.
And there, perhaps, we shall not find answers.
But we may find an embrace.
The complete poem of “To Heaven” (2025) by Rizal Tanjung can be accessed cessed by public in the official link below:
Padang, June 2025
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About Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina is a writer, poet, scholar, lecturer from West Sumatra, Indonesia. Deeply rooted in the realms of literature and education, she has long been a passionate advocate for literacy movements across local, national, and international platforms.
Since 2022, Leni has been an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA) – West Sumatra Chapter, under the leadership of Chairperson Sastri Bakry and Secretary Armaidi Tanjung.
In May 2025, she was honored with the prestigious title of Outstanding Writer of the Year by SATU PENA West Sumatra during the Gala Dinner of the 3rd International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF-3), held at the Governor’s Auditorium in West Sumatra on May 9th, 2025. The recognition was a tribute to her significant contributions to literature and her dedication to promoting literary culture in Indonesia and beyond.
Internationally, Leni is a member of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), led by renowned Chinese poet Anna Keiko. Since 2024, she has served as Indonesia’s Poetry Ambassador for ACC SHILA, and in 2025, she was appointed Chief Representative of Poetry in Asia for the ACC SHILA Ambassadorial Group—fostering poetic and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and the global community.
That same year, she also joined the World Poetry Movement (WPM) – Indonesia, coordinated by Sastri Bakry, with the movement’s global headquarters based in Colombia.
Earlier in her career, while pursuing her Master’s degree in Writing and Literature in Australia (2011–2013), Leni became a member of the Victorian Writers Association, further enriching her engagement with international literary circles.
In addition to her accolades and memberships, Leni organized a major literary event on May 31, 2025: Poetry BLaD (Poetry Book Launching and Discussion) and IOSoP (International Online Seminar on Poetry). The program was sponsored by Suara Anak Negeri News in collaboration with the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang—showcasing her commitment to developing literary forums and nurturing poetic dialogue across cultures.
Since 2006, Leni has served as a lecturer at the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, where she actively contributes to the university’s threefold mission: teaching, research, and community service. She mentors students in language, literature, creative writing, and academic composition.
Beyond the walls of academia, Leni also engages as a freelance journalist, columnist, editor, and digital media contributor. Her published works can be accessed by the public via this official link:
🔗 https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/category/puisi-leni-marlina-bagi-anak-bangsa/
Her passion for literacy and community development is reflected in several social and digital-based initiatives she founded and leads, including:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC) – Visit WCLC
2. Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC)
3. PPIPM-Indonesia (The Poetry Community of Indonesian Society’s Inspirations):
https://shorturl.at/2eTSB |
https://shorturl.at/tHjRI
4. Starcom Indonesia Community (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia):
https://rb.gy/5c1b02
Starcom
5. Linguistic Talk Community (Ling-TC)
6. Literature Talk Community (Littalk-C)
7. Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC)
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C)
Through her literary works, creative writings, and literacy-based social movements, Leni Marlina continues to ignite the flame of inspiration—from campus to community, from word to meaning, from local wisdom to the global stage—alongside her mentors, colleagues, fellow writers, and loyal readers from Indonesia and beyond.
