HEARTS IN THE TIDES: How Poetry Helps Us Understand Ourselves

Written by: Susanti Desmita Putri

[PPIPM-Indonesia & Poetry-Pen International Community, Poetry-BLaD & IOSoP 2025]

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In a fast-moving world flooded with data, noise, and endless demands, poetry remains a gentle yet unbreakable bridge to our innermost selves. Beyond elegant words, poetry becomes a shelter for healing, reflection, and quiet strength. It invites us not only to hear language, but also to hear our own hearts whisper.

Through three luminous poems by Indonesian poet Leni Marlina—”An Ocean That Never Turns to Mud” (2016), “O Seeker of Joy” (2003), and “The Road That Cannot Return” (2016)—we rediscover why poetry is not a luxury, but a vital part of living fully. All these works were published digitally on suaraanaknegerinews.com.

In “An Ocean That Never Turns to Mud”, Leni Marlina paints anger not as something to be feared, but as a natural tide within us. She portrays betrayal and sorrow as debris dragged by furious waves, yet reminds us that, like the ocean, we have the power to remain pure. “The ocean swallows’ anger,” she writes, “not to destroy, but to return it as rain.” In these lines, we learn that real resilience is not about suppressing pain but transforming it. Poetry like this offers a sacred space to process grief without losing our essence. Writing poems becomes not just a creative act, but a ritual of self-healing—a way to stay whole even when the heart feels shattered.

“O Seeker of Joy” offers a tender meditation on happiness and longing. Through images of chasing rivers and reaching for stars, Marlina captures the endless human thirst for joy, only to reveal its futility. With the gentle question, “If joy were the wind, why would you seek to hold it?” she teaches us that true happiness is not conquered or claimed but welcomed like the slow arrival of dusk. This poem reminds us that peace does not come from restless pursuit, but from patient presence. In an achievement-obsessed world, poetry like this is a needed breath—a quiet turning inward.

Finally, “The Road That Cannot Return” explores the inevitable losses that mark every life journey. Marlina takes us down a path where familiar doors vanish and hands turn to ashes—a path with no return. Yet within this haunting landscape, the poem does not collapse into despair. Instead, it honors the courage it takes to keep walking. Poetry like this gives voice to silent struggles that often go unseen. It reminds us of the fact that survival itself, amid irreversible change, is a form of victory. Writing about loss allows both poets and readers to find resilience in the face of absence.

In conclusion, poetry is not a relic of the past—it is a living necessity. In “An Ocean That Never Turns to Mud”, we learn how to cleanse pain into peace. In “O Seeker of Joy”, we realize that happiness comes not from grasping, but from letting go. In “The Road That Cannot Return”, we see that walking forward through loss is itself a triumph. Through Leni Marlina’s poetry, we understand that poems are lighthouses in life’s darkest storms—beacons calling us back to our truest selves. In a world that often rushes past emotion and reflection, poetry urges us to pause, to feel, and to remember. Poetry, therefore, is not only about beauty, but also about survival. It is about keeping the flame of humanity alive when everything else tries to blow it out.

Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2025

References

Marlina, Leni. (2016). “An Ocean That Never Turns to Mud”. Published on suaraanaknegerinews.com: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/we-and-the-stone-the-poems-collection-by-leni-marlina-ppipm-indonesia-poetry-pen-ic-indonesian-writer-of-satu-pena-indonesian-creator-of-ai-era-fsm-acc-shila/. Publication Date: May 6, 2025. (Accessed: April 21, 2025)
Marlina, Leni. (2003). “O Seeker of Joy”. Published on suaraanaknegerinews.com: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/o-seeker-of-joy-kumpulan-puisi-ppipm-indonesia-poetry-pen-ic-satu-pena-sumbar-kreator-era-ai-fsm-acc-shila/. Publication Date: August 4, 2003. (Accessed: April 21, 2025)
Marlina, Leni. (2016). “The Road That Cannot Return”. Published on suaraanaknegerinews.com: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/we-and-the-stone-the-poems-collection-by-leni-marlina-ppipm-indonesia-poetry-pen-ic-indonesian-writer-of-satu-pena-indonesian-creator-of-ai-era-fsm-acc-shila/. Publication Date: November 10, 2016. (Accessed: April 21, 2025)

Brief Information about the Writer

Susanti Desmita Putri was born in 2005, in Inderapura, Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra, Indonesia. She is an alumna of Senior High School 01 in Pancung Soal. Currently, she is pursuing her studies in the English Literature Program at the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. In addition, Susanti Desmita Putri is an active member of PPIPM-Indonesia (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat) and PPIC (Poetry-Pen Indonesia Community).

The piece above was presented virtually at the Poetry Book Launching and Discussion (Poetry-BLaD) and the International Online Seminar on Poetry (IOSoP), held on May 31 at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. The event was organized by Media Suaraanaknegerinews.com in collaboration with UNP. Susanti’s presentation video is publicly accessible via the following official link: