“Farewell and the Half of My Heart Left Behind”: Poetry Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA)
"Farewell and the Half of My Heart Left Behind": Poetry Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA)
/1/
Farewell and the Half of My Heart Left Behind
Poem by Leni Marlina
You stand at the edge of the horizon,
beneath the roar of steel wings
that will cast you into the sky,
leaving behind earth still warm
with the fading imprint of your steps.
The wind howls down the runway,
sweeping farewells like dust,
as the sky stretches open—
a wound just beginning,
a sprout of longing.
The engine smoke spells your name in the air,
then rips it apart at the speed of light.
You soar—like a bird forced from its nest before dawn,
leaving us reaching for your shadow
as it thins into the heights.
Fly well, my friend,
carry with you the echoes of our voices,
caught between the roar of machines,
between the trembling iron wings.
The sky may burn your trail,
but know this—
we will still be waiting,
on the land you left,
with the half of your heart that remains.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/2/
The Torn Body of the Sky
Poem by Leni Marlina
The sky opens its mouth wide,
swallowing you whole in a storm of steel,
chewing this farewell
with fire-eyed wings
that wound the air.
I stand beneath it,
watching your body shrink into a speck,
a fragment in the earth’s retina—
one I can never touch again.
The engine growls like a famished lion,
devouring the ground,
devouring memories,
leaving behind the scent of farewell,
bitter, hanging in the air—
a taste the wind cannot erase.
You are now part of the sky,
stumbling between the threads of clouds,
tangled in the turbulence of fate,
and I am here,
clutching at empty air,
hearing the echo of your footsteps—
no longer on this earth,
only humming inside my chest,
like a jet that refuses to fade.
Padang, Sumatra Barat, 2017
/3/
A Temporary Parting
Poem by Leni Marlina
This farewell is no wall,
only a fracture in the body of time,
gaping like the sky’s wound
that will not heal until the rain breaks.
I step forward,
but my shadow lingers at your feet,
trapped in asphalt
still warm from our presence.
Your voice seeps into the air,
a whisper that settles in the pores of the wind,
a murmur I cannot chase away.
Distance, you say, is an illusion—
yet I see it widening into an abyss,
opening between unfinished words,
between seconds that bare their teeth at courage.
I leave, but not whole.
Half of me remains tangled in your gaze,
adrift in the breath you exhale,
waiting, waiting,
until the world dares to breathe again.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/4/
Memories of You
Poem by Leni Marlina
The wind once knew by heart the way you called my name,
carrying your voice through trembling leaves,
tucking it between the low-hanging clouds.
But now, my friend, you have gone too far,
and the wind begins to forget.
Your voice, once filling the gaps of the day,
now lingers without an owner,
like a kite severed from its string.
They say time heals longing,
but I know—
time only buries it deep,
turning it into fossils of memories about you.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/5/
When You Walked Through the Airport Gates
Poem by Leni Marlina
You stepped into the airport,
and the light dimmed.
That place, my friend,
is a black hole—
it swallows voices,
devours shadows,
leaving us only with echoes we cannot touch.
I waved,
but a wave is nothing more than a useless motion
in the space that keeps expanding.
On the other side of the world,
you emerge in a different form,
but will I still recognize you as before?
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/6/
Will You Ever Return?
Poem by Leni Marlina
You left footprints in the sand,
but the waves rushed to erase them.
The sea is a keeper of secrets,
it does not want us to hope for too long.
My friend, you have sailed to another land,
and I wonder:
will you return with the same eyes?
Or will the ocean trade your gaze for a broader horizon,
until this place no longer feels enough for you?
I do not wish to fear,
but the waves have already given me their answer.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/7/
The Bridge That Folds Itselffor My Friend
Poem by Leni Marlina
This bridge once stretched long and steady,
but now it folds itself,
like a hesitant prayer.
I walk upon it,
yet the ground beneath me vanishes.
My friend, may your steps find a path
that does not fold upon itself,
but instead leads you
to where dreams take shape.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/8/
The Rain That Refuses to Fall
Poem by Leni Marlina
The sky brims with tears,
yet the rain refuses to fall.
It hangs in the air,
like my prayers for you,
still searching for a place to land.
My friend, may your journey flow
like a river of blessings,
never afraid to fall.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/9/
The Words That Cannot Be Spoken
Poem by Leni Marlina
There is a word I long to say,
but every time I open my lips,
the wind carries it away.
So I can only pray in silence:
may the wind take you
to a place where words become real,
where dreams do not perish
in the throat.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/10/
Steps That Disappear Before Arriving
Poem by Leni Marlina
I walk toward you,
but each footprint vanishes
the moment it is made.
Like my hands,
longing to hold you
but never able to.
May your journey leave traces
in the hearts of many,
as you have left them in mine.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/11/
A Sea That Forgets How to Wave
Poem by Leni Marlina
The sea has lost its waves
since the day you left.
It stands still,
like my prayers—
floating without direction.
May the land beneath your feet
hold an ocean that knows how to sing,
one that tells you
new stories.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/12/
A Letter Sent to the Past
Poem by Leni Marlina
I write this letter for yesterday,
for the moment before you left.
But the ink
fades backward.
My friend,
may you find, in that new place,
a time that never needs to be rewound—
because everything is already beautiful
there.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/13/
A City Without Shadows
Poem by Leni Marlina
Since you left,
this city has lost its shadows.
Trees stand tall,
but no darkness lingers beneath them.
People walk,
but their reflections do not follow.
For you were the light.
And I pray—
may you shine even brighter
wherever you are now.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/14/
A Home Without a Door After You Left
Poem by Leni Marlina
After you left,
I tried to return home,
but there was no door,
my friend.
I can only pray:
may every place you step upon
become a home,
may every soul you meet
become family,
and may happiness
find you there.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/15/
A River Flowing Towards the Sky
Poem by Leni Marlina
This river flows upward,
like tears
returning to the eyes.
My friend,
may your journey ascend
this high—
to a place
where prayers
meet an open sky.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/16/
A Harbor Without Ships
Poem by Leni Marlina
The harbor waits,
but no ship arrives.
I wait,
but no voice
whispers farewell.
May you find,
on that distant shore,
a pier that welcomes you
with open arms.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/17/
Time Caught in a Window
Poem by Leni Marlina
A single second is trapped
in the window—
neither moving forward
nor retreating.
Like my longing,
refusing to fade.
May time be kind to you there,
holding you
as I wish I could
right now.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/18/
A Staircase That Spirals Without End
Poem by Leni Marlina
I climb this staircase,
but I return to the first step.
Like my longing—
an endless cycle.
May you rise higher,
to a place
where dreams
do not have to
turn back.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/19/
The Wind That Carries Your Name the Wrong Way
Poem by Leni Marlina
I whisper your name
to the wind,
but it shifts direction,
carrying it somewhere unknown.
May you still hear my name
where you are,
in a prayer
that finds
the right path.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/20/
A Mirror That Reflects No One
Poem by Leni Marlina
I stand before the mirror,
but I am not there.
You are not there.
No one is.
This mirror
has lost its memory.
May you find a place
where all reflections
are clear again.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/21/
A City That Exists Only in Old Letters
Poem by Leni Marlina
This city has vanished,
but in old letters,
it still stands.
Like our friendship,
which will live on,
despite oceans and distances.
One day,
we will meet again
when the time is right.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/22/
Shoes That Walk Alone
Poem by Leni Marlina
The shoes walk,
searching for their owner.
May every step you take
lead you to a path
brighter, wider,
and full of blessings.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/23/
Tears That Never Reach the Ground
Poem by Leni Marlina
I weep,
but my tears
halt in midair.
May you find,
wherever you are,
a sky vast enough
to hold
all our prayers.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/24/
A Letter That Burned Before It Was Read
Poem by Leni Marlina
After you left,
I wrote this letter.
But before I could send it,
fire came.
May all the words
left unspoken
still reach you—
in the form of light
that protects you,
my friend.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/25/
A Clock That Ticks the Wrong Way
Poem by Leni Marlina
Time moves backward.
I wish I could return
to the moment
before you left.
But I pray instead—
may the future be kinder
to you,
to us all.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/26/
A Stone That Floats on the River
Poem by Leni Marlina
This stone should sink,
yet it floats.
Like memories
that refuse to drown.
May we remain afloat
in each other’s minds,
despite the distance
between us.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/27/
Your Departure Was Like Dusk
Poem by Leni Marlina
The sun sets,
and I know
it will return tomorrow.
But you, my friend—
your departure was like dusk,
with no promise of return.
I wait,
but the horizon
stays empty.
Perhaps one day you will return—
as morning,
or as a storm.
Perhaps you will bring light,
or rain that feels foreign
to this land.
But no matter what,
my friend,
I will still wait
until the end of my days.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
/28/
A Letter I Cannot Send
Poem by Leni Marlina
I wrote a letter,
but your address
is too distant.
Before it reaches you,
the ink loses meaning.
My words cross continents,
but there,
the seasons have already changed.
Do you still read
the same way you once did?
Or in that land,
have my letters
become foreign sounds?
My friend,
I want to believe
that longing needs no map—
but this letter knows:
not everything that leaves
returns in its original form.
Padang, West Sumatra
Indonesia, 2017
———————————–
This collection of poems (No.1 – 28) was originally written bilingually (English-Indonesia) by Leni Marlina in 2017. The poems were later revisited, revised, and first published digitally in 2025.
Leni Marlina is a celebrated Indonesian poet, writer, and educator whose works explore various themes of resilience, healing, and cultural identity, friendship, religy, natural environment, education, the voice of voiceless. A distinguished member of the literary world, she is affiliated with Indonesian Writer of SATU PENA- Indonesia, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, and the Forum Siti Manggopoh (FSM). Internationally, she is an active member of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), serving as Indonesia’s Poetry Ambassador, and has contributed to the Victoria Writers Association in Australia.
Since 2006, Leni has been a dedicated lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang (UNP), Indonesia. In addition to her academic career, she has also contributed as a columnist and part-time journalist, enriching public discourse with her insights.
Leni’s passion for literature extends beyond her own writing. She has founded and leads several impactful communities and initiatives that focus on language, literature, literacy, and social empowerment. These include:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC): https://shorturl.at/acFv1
2. Poetry-Pen International Community
3. PPIPM (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat), 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
5. Linguistic Talk Community
6. Literature Talk Community
7. Translation Practice Community
8. English Languange Learning, Literacy, Literary Community (EL4C)
