/1/
THE LONG-YOUNG YEANING
(Indonesian Title: “Rindu yang Tidak Pernah Menua”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
There is a loss
that never leaves.
There is a yearning
that never ages.
And there is a light—
forever calling us home,
even when our feet
have wandered far
from its name.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/2/
SHARDS OF MEMORY AND LONGING
(Indonesian Title: “Serpihan Memori dan Kerinduan”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
There is a night that shatters at the corner of our eyes,
its fragments become black birds
that drift within the whirl of horizons,
seeking nests in the pulse of fate—
where dreams and wounds entwine in sacred union.
At the edge of silence that never sleeps,
we stand—
weaving days from threads of broken love,
stitching them with needles of patience
forged from the bones of pain
and wells of prayer that never run dry.
Longing kindles candles crafted from stars
within the secret chamber of the cosmos,
guiding our steps through corridors of memory
that shiver beneath the rain of light,
while winds twist the keys
to doors of the past
we never had the chance to lock.
Our memories are battlefields:
there fall the names
that once sheltered our souls.
Yet from the ruins
we rise like trees
rooted in fractured stone,
drinking light from a torn sky,
refusing to crumble
though seasons strive to sever us.
We gather those shards—
fragments of a mirror reflecting your face
in a thousand fractured shapes, never whole,
yet every reflection slices,
and every slice affirms
that bleeding
is the way to keep alive.
Each shard we keep,
not for mourning,
but to sharpen into blades of light—
weapons wielded
to slice through fog
that clouds the paths of coming generations,
so they may behold the sun
without losing the entire sky.
Upon the silent table,
we write with ink drawn from starlight,
letting words bleed
so the world might know
how vast the distance is
between loss
and homecoming.
And if one day this body fades,
may our names linger in the air,
slipping into the breath of children,
teaching them
how to endure,
how to love,
and how to call home
all that has been lost—
without ever surrendering.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/3/
YOU WHO DEPARTED
(Indonesian Title: “Kau yang Pergi”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
You walked away,
carrying the scent of earth
after the rain,
leaving it drifting
in the air I breathed.
Your shadow stretched
along an empty road,
dragged by the wind
toward a place
I could not name.
You did not turn—
not from forgetfulness,
but because every glance backward
would pierce me again,
like a blade returning
to open an old wound.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/4/
THE TIME WE HAD THEN
(Indonesian Title: “Waktu Saat Itu”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Time, for us then,
was only a current
swallowing ripple after ripple,
carrying us apart
at a speed we never felt.
In the fold of days,
yearning grew like roots
breaking through stone’s silence.
Time kept moving on,
yet for us then,
it was like a motionless rock
dividing two rivers
that would never meet.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/5/
MEMORY OF YOU
(Indonesian Title: “Ingatan Tentangmu”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Memory of you was born
from a fracture in my chest.
Shards of your face, your laughter, your words
float upon a silent sea.
At times, they arrive
as a flash of light,
piercing the dense night.
At times, they drift away,
becoming fine dust
I breathe without knowing,
leaving me breathless
without reason.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/6/
GATHERING THE SHARDS OF YOU
(Indonesian Title: “Mengumpulkan Serpihan Ingatan Tentangmu”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
You left,
leaving behind a shadow
creeping slowly,
like morning dew
that never fades.
Your trace—
a dim light in a dark corridor,
burning yearning
like fire in the silence.
Time whispers in the breath of wind,
turning gathered seconds into memory,
painting the space
between hearts in longing.
Here I stand,
unlocking the door of my soul,
gathering the shards of you that have fallen,
like leaves drifting down
in the twilight.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/7/
BETWEEN THE STEPS THAT DRIFTS AWAY
(Indonesian Title: “Di Antara Langkah yang Menjauh”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Between the steps that drift away,
the current of time that keeps flowing,
and the fragments of memory left behind,
there is a single thread,
fine and unbroken.
That thread binds us—
not in this world,
not in a place we can touch,
but in a quiet crevice
reachable only by longing.
There I wait,
and you—
whether you know or not—
always arrive.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/8/
WHEN I FEEL A PIECE OF YOU RETURN
(Indonesian Titlle: “Ketika Aku Merasakan Potongan Ingatanmu Kembali”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
A falling star
splits the night.
Your memory,
a shard of light—
returns, trembling in the silence.
The moon embraces the sea,
wordless and still.
Nature’s zikr whispers,
a soundless pulse
piercing the heart,
uniting souls.
We are apart,
yet that light—
becomes our meeting place,
without body, without time.
A fragment of you
arrives like a gentle lantern,
guiding my steps
to the gate of God’s mercy.
The night stands as silent witness,
light becomes prayer,
the sun of the soul,
releasing yearning
to return into God’s grace.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/9/
AT THE LAST POINT OF YOUR SHADOW
(Indonesian Title: “Di Titik Terakhir Bayangmu”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I stand at the last point of your shadow,
where earth cradles dusk
and the wind carries
the scent of steps that will not return.
The sky slowly shatters,
spilling colors I cannot describe,
like secrets known only to the birds
flying home to their nests.
Here,
time is no longer current or stone,
but an unseen door
gaping between us.
I do not knock.
I simply wait—
for I know,
sometimes a shadow need not return,
it only needs to be accepted
as part of the light.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/10/
SILENCE THAT TEACHES GOD’S NAME
(Indonesian Title: “Sunyi yang Mengajarkan Nama-Nya”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Silence is the teacher
who taught me to speak His name
from the deepest trench of the heart
without voice.
It planted patience
in the cracks of my pulse,
letting my longing flow
toward an unmapped horizon.
Within it,
a face once lost
turned into prayer,
and a step once gone
became the path back to His light.
I no longer search,
for I have found
that even loss
can be a meeting—
when it is bound by Him.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/11/
THE WOUND THAT GREW WINGS
(Indonesian Title: “Luka yang Menumbuhkan Sayap”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
From the wound
that never closed,
grew small wings
invisible to the eye,
yet able to lift us
to places no step could reach.
We flew over rivers of memory,
tracing the bends of light
that guided us
to the embrace of the sky.
There,
tears that fell
became stars,
and bitter memories
turned into soil
for new prayers to grow.
We understood then:
the wings were not born to forget,
but to carry the wound
as part of our flight
toward God.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
/12/
FINDING THE WAY TO GOD
(Indonesian Title: “Menemukan Jalan Menuju-Nya”)
Poem by Leni Marlina
Poem by Leni Marlina
[UNP Padang, PPIPM–Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena – West Sumatra, KEAI, PLS, ACC SHILA, ASM, WPM–Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Yearning is but another name for a journey.
It does not always bring us home,
yet it always leads
to the same light.
In every loss we hold,
we find a path to God.
And that light—
forever waits,
even when we have wandered far
from God’s name.
Bukittinggi, Indonesia, 2000
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
Padang, Indonesia, 2025
———————————–
About the Author: Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina is a writer, poet, and academic born in Baso, Agam—West Sumatra, and currently resides in Padang, Indonesia. She grew up embraced by words, holding a deep belief that literature serves as a bridge of goodwill connecting human hearts across boundaries. Since an early age, she has actively engaged in literary and literacy movements—both within academic institutions and across broader community networks.
Since 2022, Leni has been an active member of the SATU PENA (Indonesian Writers Association), West Sumatra chapter, under the leadership of Sastri Bakry and Armaidi Tanjung. Within this community, she has grown and shared insights with fellow writers across generations.
In May 2025, Leni was honored as Writer of the Year by SATU PENA West Sumatra during the Gala Dinner of the 3rd International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF-3). She received the award with heartfelt gratitude, viewing it as a collective recognition of the spirit of cooperation in nurturing a reading and writing culture throughout the nation.
Leni’s international literary journey expanded when she joined the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), led by globally renowned poet Anna Keiko. Since 2024, she has served as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador to ACC SHILA, and in 2025, she was appointed as Chair of the Asian Delegation of Poetry Ambassadors—a significant role in cultivating cultural diplomacy through poetry.
That same year, she also joined the World Poetry Movement (WPM) Indonesia, coordinated by Sastri Bakry, as part of the global poetry movement headquartered in Colombia.
Leni’s engagement with international literature began during her postgraduate studies in Writing and Literature at Victoria University, Australia (2011–2013). During this time, she was active in local writing communities in Victoria and enriched her perspectives through intercultural literary dialogue.
On May 31, 2025, alongside her literary communities and in collaboration with Achmad Yusuf (event chair), Leni co-organized the Poetry BLaD (Book Launch and Poetry Discussion) and the IOSoP (International Online Seminar on Poetry). These events were commissioned by Media Suara Anak Negeri News (led by Paulus Laratmase) and hosted in partnership with the Department of English, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. Together, they fostered a vibrant space for promoting literacy, peace, and humanity through poetry.
Since 2006, Leni has served as a lecturer in English Literature at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, where she has mentored students in language, literature, and creative writing. She believes that both education and literary work are essential forms of service to society.
Beyond academia, Leni contributes as a freelance journalist, editor, and digital contributor. Her literary works are widely accessible online, including through:
https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/category/puisi-leni-marlina-bagi-anak-bangsa
Leni is also the founder and mentor of various digital-based literary and social communities, including:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC)
https://shorturl.at/acFv1
2. Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC)
3. PPIPM Indonesia (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Pemikiran Masyarakat): Poetry Community for Inspirations of Indonesian Society.
https://shorturl.at/2eTSB
https://shorturl.at/tHjRI
4. Starcom Indonesia (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community)
https://rb.gy/5c1b02
5. Linguistic Talk Community (Ling-TC): a digital platform for discussions in linguistics and applied language studies.
6. Literature Talk Community (Littalk-C): a forum for literary exploration across genres and eras.
7. Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC): a practice-based forum for literary and academic translation.
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C): a community dedicated to English learning and literary appreciation.
Read more: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/serpihan-ingatan…sm-wpm-indonesia/
