FRIENDSHIP AND HUMANITY FOR LOVE OF PEACE (Part 1)”: International Poems Collection by Leni Marlina & Anna Keiko (Poetry-Pen IC & ACC SHILA)
by Leni Marlina & Anna Keiko (Poetry-Pen IC & ACC SHILA)
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/1/
FRIENDSHIP AND HUMANITY FOR LOVE OF PEACE (I): Our Shared Humanity
Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA)
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, Literacy Community of West Sumatra, ASM, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
In the hushed spaces between breaths,
we weave—
not in words,
but in the invisible stitch of hearts,
unseen,
yet felt in the pulse of time’s fragile thread.
We are strangers,
but only on the surface,
for the silence binds us tighter than words ever could.
Here,
where no borders divide,
we tread in the shadow of our shared humanity,
our steps soft but unyielding.
Underneath the infinite sky,
where our hands have never met,
the Earth speaks in a tongue older than time—
it calls us to listen,
to touch,
to transcend.
When the winds are still,
we feel it—
the thread that unites,
woven through the fabric of existence,
binding us,
not in chains, but in song of humanity.
It is the quiet thread of unity
that hums the world into peace.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/2/
Sunrise of Hope
A Poem by Anna Keiko
(CHINA)
[The Chairperson of ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association – ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
The light of dawn
erases the traces of the night
relentlessly, time goes on flowing
although I wish it would stop
like a picture fixed by the camera’s lens
because as valuable like fruit in a tree is life
Like the moon ascending at night
So you are, my love, whatever happens
wherever you are, I keep you in my heart
since I am in love with you my world has changed
because two hearts found a home of tenderness
sunrays play on the heart strings of love
lighting up the dawn of hope.
/3/
The Bridge of Hands
Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA)
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena,! Indonesian Creator of AI Era, Literacy Community of West Sumatra, ASM, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Hands,
reaching across the chasm
of our histories,
crossing rivers of sorrow,
building bridges not of stone,
but of trust,
of unspoken promises.
They tremble,
but never break.
We are not the rulers of worlds,
but the healers of hearts—
our hands like rivers,
our gestures like prayers,
flowing without fear into the deep,
filling the cracks left by time’s cruel fingers.
A simple touch,
and the ground we once stood upon
becomes sacred.
No borders mark where hands meet,
no mountains stand where they unite.
We are architects of peace,
building with the very fibers of our souls.
Together,
we are the bridge—
a silent,
steadfast arc over the tumultuous seas of division.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/4/
Waiting for the Bus
A Poem by Anna Keiko
(CHINA)
[The Chairperson of ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association – ACC SHILA]
Chinese – English Translator:
Germain Droogenbroodt
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I’m waiting for the bus
Many busses pass by the station
They go to different Cities
But there is no bus to take me where I want to go
I am still waiting, from winter to spring
Nobody cares about the people waiting for the bus
They walk, or they run
I wait from dark till dawn
Trees hibernate and wake up,
So also do the birds
The city has slept for thousands of years
Only a few stars have awoke
I don’t know the distance to the place I want to go
I keep waiting for the bus.
/5/
The Song of Togetherness
Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA)
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, Literacy Community of West Sumatra, ASM, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
A song,
born not of voices alone,
but of every glance that lingers,
every smile shared in the quiet of our shared spaces.
This song has no name—
it is not sung,
but lived.
We are the notes,
the chords that resonate in the silence,
strung across the distance between hearts,
and through the echo of every hour.
It is a melody of togetherness,
not bound by time or place,
but sung in the rhythm of those who believe
that the world can be more than its fractures.
We do not sing to be heard,
but to be felt,
to reach deep into the souls we encounter,
and whisper—
We are one,
in the silence of our knowing,
in the song of our unity,
in the peace that we create,
not tomorrow,a
but now.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/6/
AN EMPTY GLASS
A Poem by Anna Keiko
(CHINA)
[The Chairperson of ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association – ACC SHILA]
Chinese – English Translator:
Germain Droogenbroodt – Stanley Barkan
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
The cup full of spring water was in sight
It is a part of my body.
I tried to drink it,
But when I tried,
The glass was empty.
Where did the water go
In no time?
Is existence
No more than a glass of water?
It’s a mystery, it’s confusion.
What happened?
Yesterday, I was here at the same time
And filled the glass.
Would the water not have disappeared
If I had remained here?
Was my mind trapped in the glass
Or…?
Anna Keiko (China)
Image source: Anna K. via Leni M.
About Anna Keiko and Her Works
Anna Keiko (China)
Anna Keiko, a distinguished poetess and essayist from Shanghai, China, has made a profound impact on contemporary literature. A graduate of Shanghai East China University with a Bachelor’s degree in Law, she has achieved global recognition for her poetry, which has been translated into more than 30 languages and published in over 500 journals, magazines, and media outlets across 40 countries. Keiko is the founder and chief editor of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng Literature Association and serves as a Chinese representative and director of the International Cultural Foundation Ithaca. Her affiliations extend to Immagine & Poesia in Italy and the Canadian-Cuban Literary Union, reflecting her commitment to fostering cross-cultural literary exchanges. Her poetic oeuvre spans six collections, including “Lonely in the Blood and Absurd Language”, showcasing her exploration of human emotions, environmental concerns, and existential themes. Her innovative style and evocative imagery have earned her numerous accolades, such as the 30th International Poetry Award in Italy and the World Peace Ambassador Certificate in 2024. Notably, she was the first Chinese recipient of the Cross-Cultural Exchange Medal for Significant Contribution to World Poetry, awarded in the United States in 2023. Her works, including “Octopus Bones” and other acclaimed poems, have resonated with readers worldwide, garnering invitations to prominent international poetry festivals and conferences. Her dedication to the arts extends beyond poetry, encompassing prose, essays, lyrics, and drama, underscoring her versatility as a writer.
/7/
The Last Orchard
Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA)
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, Literacy Community of West Sumatra, ASM, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I gathered the last orchards
inside my ribs —
roots weaving through my breath,
petals rising into my voice.
The sky, once torn, begins to mend,
and you,
you sow gardens of dawn in my hands.
We drink from rivers unseen,
we plant songs in the silence.
And still, green light rises
through every forgotten stone.
When the world turns away,
we are the seeds dreaming of spring.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/8/
Friendship for Humanity and Peace
Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA)
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, Literacy Community of West Sumatra, ASM, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
O friends,
scattered across the edges of the world,
we tread in silence,
our footprints meeting in the hush of unseen paths,
though our eyes may never cross.
Within the secret garden of friendship,
humanity blooms without asking,
rooted deeper than any word,
sealing the wounds that weep,
mending sorrows that burn unseen.
Our laughter spills into light,
our tears ascend into prayer.
Peace speaks not in thunderous tongues—
but in the soft, unspoken grace
of hearts laid bare in love.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
—————————————–
About Leni Marlina and Her Works
Image source: suaraanaknegerinews.com.
About Leni Marlina and Her Works
The poetry collection above was written by Leni Marlina in early 2025. The poems had not been published on any platform prior to its inaugural digital release through the national literary portal suaraanaknegerinews.com that same year.
Leni Marlina is a writer, poet, and academic from West Sumatra, Indonesia. She has been an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA), West Sumatra Chapter, since its inception in 2022. Internationally, she is affiliated with the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association, where she has been appointed as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador. Her global literary engagement includes a formative involvement with the Victoria’s Writer Association in Australia.
Since 2006, Leni has served as a civil servant lecturer in the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, at Universitas Negeri Padang (UNP). Beyond the academic sphere, she is part of the editorial board at suaraanaknegerinews.com and contributes regularly to various national online media and digital literary communities.
Her publicly available poems can be accessed at:
https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/category/puisi-leni-marlina-bagi-anak-bangsa/page/3/
In addition to her writing, Leni Marlina is the founder and leader of several digital communities that center on language, literature, literacy, and social engagement. These include:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC): https://shorturl.at/acFv1
2. Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC)
3. PPIPM-Indonesia (Poetry Community of Indonesian Society’s Inspirations):
a. https://shorturl.at/2eTSB;
b. https://shorturl.at/tHjR
4. Starcom Indonesia Community (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia):
https://rb.gy/5c1b02
5. Linguistic Talk Community (Ling-TC)
6. Literature Talk Community (Littalk-C)
7. Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC)
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, Literary Community (EL4C)
Through her poetry and leadership in community initiatives, Leni Marlina continues to infuse new energy into Indonesia’s literary and educational landscape. Her work bridges cultural and generational dialogues, offering a profound poetic vision in response to the challenges and transformations of the digital age.
