“THE LETTER OF HUMANITY : The Poems Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA)
By Leni Marlina
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/1/
THE LETTER OF HUMANITY
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
It sets forth with no destination,
for addresses have become the wind—
shifting, vanishing, never still.
Those meant to read its whispers
never dare to unfold its creases,
for words cut deeper than the silence
they have so carefully built.
Between its lines,
night lingers with no promise of dawn,
doors are sealed from the outside,
voices curl within hollow ribs,
murmuring only in the language of quiet.
It will never truly arrive,
but it was never meant to.
For it is not just a letter—
it is the breath of justice,
wandering, waiting,
etching itself into hearts
still bold enough to listen
to the whispers of humanity.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/2/
WHAT FALLS, WHAT ENDURES
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Not all that falls is lost,
not all that stays is surrender.
They believe the story ends
when bodies dissolve into dust,
yet something lingers,
breathing between the scattered ruins
they chose to overlook.
The sky forgets its blue,
the earth turns away from birth,
but in the quiet cracks,
a root slips through,
a word stirs,
a fragile hope unfurls—
even in the absence of light.
This wound is no longer flesh,
but a story unwilling to be silenced,
rewriting itself in the void they leave behind.
Erase it once, it will return in another tongue,
for what falls will rise,
and what withers will endure.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/3/
When the Clock Hangs Still
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
In this city,
the clock dangles like a forgotten prayer,
mute, unbroken,
a shadow of time
before the world unraveled.
Shadows no longer chase their makers,
the sun stands frozen in an unsaid farewell,
the moon lingers, hollow-eyed,
a witness to vanishing light.
The air is heavy,
a gravestone with no name,
footprints linger like fading echoes on the skin of the earth,
whispering—
does memory still belong here?
No voices, no syllables,
only silence blooming in the chest,
rooted deep, murmuring softly:
night does not always outlive dawn.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/4/
The Fire Beneath the Ash
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They come with water,
thinking there is fire to extinguish—
but here, only embers remain,
planted deep in the ribs of the earth,
a slow-burning wound
that outlives war itself.
They think closing their eyes
will dim the sky,
but this fire does not hunger for sunlight.
It was born of something older,
ancient as night and day,
fierce as memory.
This fire does not ask for permission to burn.
It rises because it must—
because the air they steal away
only makes the flames thirst more,
hunger more,
for justice, for peace.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/5/
Seeing the Night Through Wounds
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They weave the night over our eyes,
thinking darkness will erase memory.
But even in the thickest black,
we see with something deeper—
not with light,
but with wounds,
not with color,
but with silence that speaks.
They believe that closing our eyes
erases what was done.
But we witness through something stronger,
something that cannot be plucked away
like an eye clenched by fear.
We do not need sight to see,
for truth does not require light
to shine.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/6/
When They Nailed the Sky
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They pinned the clouds in place,
thinking they could chain the wind,
cage the open sky.
But the sky is no prisoner,
no possession to be tamed.
It slips beneath their walls,
spilling into their chests,
letting the air itself
become something they fear.
They build their barriers,
reach higher, lock doors,
but in the end,
they must still breathe.
And as long as air remains,
the sky has already won.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/7/
Wounds That Do Not Die
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They rewrite history,
thinking ink is stronger than blood.
But wounds do not read their books—
they only remember.
And memory,
sharper than any blade,
cuts back.
They believe the dead are finished,
the buried too silent to speak.
But listen—
the earth whispers,
carrying the breath of those
whose final words were stolen.
No one is ever truly gone,
as long as someone still remembers,
as long as one voice
refuses to be silenced.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/8/
Shadows That Stretch Beyond Light
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They douse the lamps,
thinking they can erase the dark,
thinking they can banish the shape
of something unseen.
But shadows do not need light—
only something to stand against.
And as long as one body remains,
a shadow will still crawl,
stretching beyond the walls
they built themselves.
They may shatter the body,
but never its shadow.
It lingers in the air they breathe,
becoming the ghost
they cannot outrun.
Even in the blackest night,
it does not fade.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/9/
The Earth That Speaks in Tremors
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They sealed the mouths that dared to speak,
mistaking silence for surrender.
But the earth does not need a voice—
it speaks through cracks,
through tremors that slither beneath their feet.
The ground remembers every step
that has pressed into its skin,
every hand that has dug through its bones
in search of something more.
It keeps the names
they have tried to forget.
And one day,
when they believe all is still,
the earth will speak—
and they will have no choice
but to listen.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
/10/
A Road That Never Ends
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
★★★★★★★★★★★★★
They erase the maps,
strip away the signs,
thinking a journey ends
when the path disappears.
But roads do not need markers—
they exist in every step
that refuses to halt.
They live in the memory
of those who have walked them,
in the whispers of those
who refuse to vanish.
They believe that by sealing every crossroad,
they can end the passage.
But as long as someone still moves forward,
the road remains.
And if needed,
it will be built again—
stone by stone,
from nothing.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2018
——————————————-
This collection of poems “WHAT FALLS, WHAT ENDURES” (poem no. 1-10) above was originally written by Leni Marlina in 2018, later revised, and first published digitally in 2025.
Leni Marlina is a celebrated Indonesian poet, writer, and educator whose works explore themes of resilience, healing, and cultural identity. A distinguished member of the literary world, she is affiliated with Indonesian Writer SATU PENA, 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 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-Indonesia (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Pemikiran 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)
Leni Marlina’s work exemplifies a profound commitment to fostering creativity, education, cultural exchange, and social advocacy. Her poetry serves as a bridge between personal reflection and universal themes, giving her influential voice in contemporary literature.
