"THE SKY AND THE SILENCE THAT REFUSE TO BOW": Poetry Collection by Leni Marlina and Other Distinguished Poets (Members of ACC-SHILA, PPIC, PPIPM, Satu Pena, WPM-Indonesia)

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THE SKY AND THE SILENCE THAT REFUSE TO BOW

Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ASM, Literacy Community, ACC SHILA, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Look at the sky!
It never forgets.
It holds the traces
erased from pages of history—
breaths broken
among ruins
of poetry and home,
lives that crumbled
with no monument,
no names etched in stone.

Look at the sky
It is not the empty stretch.
It is the silent scripture,
memorizing the names
of the unmarked fallen,
growing quietly
in barren fields,
rooted in patient soil
with tears for rain.

Never think that the sky only watches.
It listens:
to mothers’ sob drifting into night,
to children’s cries becoming mist,
to prayers never voiced
from golden pulpits,
but whispered from torn mats,
from hearts fractured
yet still beating
for one word: endure.

For endurance
is the quietest zikr
of defiance.
And patience—
is not surrender,
but planting a garden
among ruins,
and naming the seeds
that never cease to pray.

The sky knows:
loyalty is not in sound,
but in the steps
that trace wounds
without a map.
Truth is not in shouting,
but in silence
that refuses to bow
even when no hand reaches out,
even in seasons of chaos,
when humanity is torn
from the heart of being human.

✍Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025

/2/

IN RAIN’S EYES, WE HIDE THE LIGHT

Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ASM, Literacy Community, ACC SHILA, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Friends,
we hide the light
in rain’s eyes—
not to let it die,
but to teach it
how to shine
without blinding the earth.

Each drop falls not to erase,
but to touch
shards of wounds
that won’t answer to bullets.

For truth
does not always blaze;
sometimes it chooses
an honest drop
that falls in silence,
yet nourishes memory
of love
that never withers
in the season of war.

✍Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025

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NEVER SHALL THE MALAYS PERISH FROM THE EARTH

Poem by Dato’ Hashim Yacoob
(MALAYSIA) 🇲🇾

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-Malaysia, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC]

(Translated from Malay into Indonesian language and English by Leni Marlina)
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Amidst the thunderous cry of Admiral Tun Tuah,
“NEVER SHALL THE MALAYS PERISH FROM THE EARTH”
We drape his words around our necks,
as if they were charms of undying might.
Lulled by its promise, we slumber on,
while foes sharpen their daggers,
and level their rifles at our chests,
where dreams still weave their fragile web.

At the rooster’s call, as dawn’s pale light unfolds,
we wake—only to find our city besieged.
Our keris and spears, scattered and lost,
we flee—to Johor, to Pahang, to Perak,
seeking refuge in lands that shrink before us.
Melaka falls, swallowed by foreign tides,
and with it, the Malays lose their throne and pride.

I see your words, O Admiral,
not as an oath carved in stone,
but as the tremor of your doubt,
gleaming in your gaze,
throbbing in your veins,
as you watched your people falter,
drifting in a sea without a sail.

Even now, though our eyes are open,
we drift in a waking slumber.

Around our necks, the charm still clings,
proclaimed as the shield of our forebears’ glory.
Yet now, no amulet shall save us,
only a rising flame within,
with blades forged in wisdom,
with spears honed by unshaken will,
that we may not merely chant old vows,
but carve new legends in sweat and blood.

✍”Air Penawar Sekacang Kelat” Poetry Book, Published by Furada Publishing House, Malaysia, 1993.
The poem above is published by having given permission from the poet himself.
—————————————-
About the Poet:
Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Hashim Yaacob is a distinguished poet, cultural scholar, and scientist. Born in 1949, he served as Vice-Chancellor (Rector) of several Malaysian universities, including Universiti Malaya (2003-2006), Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia (2003-2006), University College of Nursing Petaling Jaya Malaysia (2008-2011), Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (2011-2013), Quest International University Perak Malaysia (2013-2015), and Meritus University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur (2015). He is also a former Captain of the Royal Malaysian Navy (Rtd), a painter, and a traditional shadow puppeteer (dalang wayang kulit).

As a gifted poet, he has published five poetry collections:
1. Air Penawar Sekacang Kelat (A Healing Drop of Bitter Bean)
2. Air Manik Astagina (Beaded Water of Astagina)
3. Misi (Mission)
4. Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga (The Lowland of a Flower Garden)
5. Aku Hanya Mahu ke Seberang (I Only Wish to Cross Over)

Three of these books were published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Malaysia. His book Aku Hanya Mahu ke Seberang (I Only Wish to Cross Over) won the prestigious Anugerah Sastera Perdana (2002). Some of his poems have been translated into Russian by Victor Pogadaev and published in Poyusyi Bambuk (“Singing Bamboo”) in Moscow in 2005 (Publisher: Humanitary, ISBN 5-89221-098-3).

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A POEM CANNOT END A WAR
(The Indonesian original title of the poem: “Puisi Tak Bisa Menghentikan Perang”)

Poem by Ilhamdi Sulaiman
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC, WPM-Indonesia]

Indonesian-English Translator by Leni Marlina
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

A poem cannot end a war—
like a prayer that falls through gunfire—
yet it clings to the ribs of grief,
a stubborn flame in the storm.
It cannot still the howl of tanks,
but whispers lullabies
to children without pillows.
Not a weapon,
but it walks
as water walks through dust.

✍Jakarta, INDONESIA, 2025

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BENEATH THE RUBBLE
(The Indonesian original title of the poem: “Di Balik Puing”)

Poem by Ilhamdi Sulaiman
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC, WPM-Indonesia]

Indonesian-English Translator by Leni Marlina
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆-

A poem is born—
not of ink,
but of blood drying on fingers.
It carves itself with broken glass
on nameless walls.
No one may read it,
yet it keeps writing—
for silence is too cruel
to carry grief.

✍Jakarta, INDONESIA, 2025
——————————–
About the Poet:
Ilhamdi Sulaiman, also known as Boyke Sulaiman, was born 68 years ago. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Indonesian Language and Literature from Bung Hatta University in Padang in 1986. His involvement in the arts began in 1976, and he has remained active ever since as both a writer and a distinguished declaimer/ poet.

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AT THE FOOT OF MIST, WE TUCK AWAY MESSAGES

Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ASM, Literacy Community, ACC SHILA, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

We tuck messages
at the foot of mist—
not to blur the wounds,
but so morning
can read the tracks
left untold.

Of land
that lost its name,
of homes
turned to ash
by hands
that worship ruin.

We send hope
through the breath of flowers,
slow but faithful,
so it reaches the window of souls
still believing
that peace
was the first language
earth ever taught
before humans
learned to hate.

✍Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025

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MOON (3)

Poem by Anto Narasoma
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC, WPM-Indonesia]

Indonesian-English Translator: Leni Marlina
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Though at night
you reveal your face
from behind the rustling leaves
of the acacia,
still—
come rest awhile
in my room,
O moon.

I place your face
upon the edge of my window—
a hotel room long waiting
for your voice,
for you
to speak to me.

O moon,
when your full light
rose above Brandenburg Berlin,
around your visage
I found the stillness of night
beside you.

It was in the curve of that corridor
that everything unfolded—
when the white-skinned ones
opened their hands,
offering a smile.

O moon,
when will your full glow
shimmer through this fleeting life,
before the door of the grave
welcomes my presence?

✍Berlin, GERMANY,
September 2007–2024

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ENDLESS ECHO OF LIFE

Poem by Rajesh Sharma
(INDIA) 🇮🇳

[PPIPM-India, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC, ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA)
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Life stretches far beyond what we see,
Touch, or measure, eternity.
In every kind word, love’s seed takes root,
Our presence echoes, a lasting fruit.

Death may close our eyes, but not our tale,
Impact lives on, love doesn’t fail
In faith, spirit, and heart, we find,
A life that continues, forever aligned.

The soul longs for more, for purpose true,
Connection, divine, and love anew.
So live fully, love deeply, give with grace,
For in love’s legacy, we find our endless place.

Nothing done in love is ever lost,
Through kindness, we live on, forever the cost.
May our hearts beat with love’s pure fire,
Guiding others, our spirit’s highest desire.

✍Telangana, INDIA,
June 18th, 2025
———————————–
About the Poet:
Rajesh Sharma is a bilingual Poet from Telangana, India. He authored an English Poetry book entitled “Hey Honey”. Many of his poems have been published in various international anthologies. He works as a Junior Assistant in ZPHS B SHAYAMPET SCHOOL in Hanumakonda District of Telangana State, INDIA.

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RAIN AND LOVE

Poem by Anto Narasoma
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC, WPM-Indonesia]

Indonesian-English Translator: Leni Marlina
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Fall,
let the rain pour—
as fierce as my sorrow,
streaming into the tale
of your unspoken betrayal.

From the brooding sky,
water gathers the weight of anger,
as your treachery flares
like lightning
burning the very core of my being.

Yet once,
with the fullness of breath,
I etched every feeling
before entrusting love
to the ticking of my years.

Fall,
fall once more—
drench this ache,
this voiceless grief in my chest
after I mistook your presence
for poetry I longed to believe.

A decade of love
I poured into hearts already soaked with longing,
for even rain
can shatter crystal passion
buried deep within the breast.

Shall I surrender this wound
to the puddles of love,
after the rain
has washed my prayers away
when I raised my hands
to You, my Lord?

✍Palembang, South Sumatra, INDONESIA,
March 12th, 2025
————————————–
About the Poet:
Anto Narasoma is a dedicated national poet and senior journalist whose works have quietly yet powerfully enriched the landscape of Indonesian literature. With a voice shaped by life’s trials and truths, his poetry speaks from the heart of experience—touching on themes of love, longing, faith, and the complexities of human relationships. His verses often echo a deep spiritual reflection and a gentle critique of social realities, written not to impress, but to move.

As a senior mentor in the community of Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat (PPIPM-Indonesia): The Poetry Community of Indonesian Society’s Inspirations, Anto Narasoma continues to walk alongside younger writers, offering his guidance with sincerity and humility. His passion lies not only in writing, but in helping others find their own voices—believing that poetry can be a bridge to healing, awareness, and shared humanity.

He is also a member of the Poetry-Pen International Community, where he participates in cross-cultural conversations that celebrate poetic diversity. Though he does not seek the spotlight, his work has quietly crossed borders.

In 2022, Anto Narasoma was honored with the Literary Award from the International Literary Association of Spain—a recognition he accepts not as a personal triumph, but as an encouragement to continue sharing words that touch the soul.

With humility and purpose, Anto Narasoma continues to write and walk in poetry, believing that even the softest words can carry truth, and even a quiet poem can open the heart of a nation.

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MORNING LIGHT

Poem by Anna Keiko
(CHINA) 🇨🇳

[ACC SHILA: ACC Shanghai International Literary Association, PPIPM-China, PPIC: Poetry-Pen International Community,
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Like clean water flows
Words of love fly
Peace glides in my mind

Humid sky
A ray of sunlight penetrates the banks
Through time and space

In the good days, birds were flying over the river
But now,
Where did they fly?

✍Shanghai, CHINA

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REFUGEES

Poem by Anna Keiko
(CHINA) 🇨🇳

[ACC SHILA: ACC Shanghai International Literary Association, PPIPM-China, PPIC: Poetry-Pen International Community,
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Like the dry earth waits for grace
What comes is not rain and desire
It’s a burned intellectual brain
Refugees are like birds with broken wings
Home on the other side
Just can’t get there.

✍Shanghai, China
——————————–
About the Poet:
Anna Keiko, a distinguished poet 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 Imagine & 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.

Anna has published 11 books and won five poetry prizes in China. She has won 35 international poetry awards and certificates.
Having ever been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature by Yale University in 2020, Anna Keiko continues to break barriers, bringing Chinese literature to the global stage.

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I Am the True Shadow of My Poem

Poem by Ramli Djafar
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

Translated poetically from Indonesian into English by Leni Marlina

[PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

I am my own shadow—
Rooted in the ground beneath my feet,
Flowing like blood through the hush of veins,
A rhythm echoing my heart’s soft beat.

I am the soul of my own verse,
A voice rising from within—
A song of longing,
A whisper of wounds that live beneath the skin.

I am the shadow of my poem,
At times imprisoned in the silence of the heart,
Wandering the hollow,
Where unrest weaves its endless art,
Where fear edges toward the breaking part.

I,
And the I within me,
Am nothing but my poetry.

✍Padang, West Sumatra Province, INDONESIA
June 11th, 2025
———————————–
About the Poet:
Ramli Djafar is an Indonesian poet whose voices emerge from the literary heartland of Padang City, West Sumatra—a region steeped in oral tradition, layered history, and enduring cultural spirit. In May 2025, during the Gala Dinner of the International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF-3) at the Governor’s Auditorium of West Sumatra, the poet was honored for his lasting contributions as The Prolific Writer 2025 awarded by Indonesian Writers Association of Satu Pena – West Sumatra.

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WE ENTRUST RESISTANCE TO THE BODY OF WIND

Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ASM, Literacy Community, ACC SHILA, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

We entrust resistance
to the body of wind—
not to storms,
but to breath
that climbs
into chests
still willing to believe
that love
is the mightiest way
to resist cruelty.

We swing no swords,
hoard no weapons or rage;
we swing prayers
among silent ruins,
between walls
that once birthed
laughter and embrace.

This resistance
is no explosion,
but a drop of dew
refusing to dry
beneath boots of power.
It creeps into roots,
reviving memory
of a world
once united
in guarding human conscience.

We are not vengeance shouting—
we are the tiny light
listening to earth’s sobs,
then writing them
on a leaf,
so birds know
which way to fly
when the sky loses its map.

The wind carries no bullets,
but it bears our names
to those who forgot
that even in pain and sorrow,
a human
can cry out louder
than thunder
on a battlefield.

And if we are not meant to be heroes,
then let us be a breath
the earth remembers—
when hands
grasp each other,
not strike;
when peace
rises again
from ruins of feeling.

✍Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025

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NO MORE WAR, WE LONG FOR PEACE
(Dedicated to all innocent souls lost to war)

Poems by S.K. Saadman
(BANGLADESH) 🇧🇩

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-Bangladesh, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

No more war—we long for peace,
Let the earth become a garden in bloom.
Countless lives have slipped away,
So many eyes are drowned in grief’s dark gloom.
Never again should a child weep
For the warmth of a father’s embrace.
Never again should a mother search
A coffin for love’s last trace.

The lives we’ve lost—will they return?
How many hearts must break in silent pain?
A lonely woman sits and waits,
Her face so pale with longing’s strain,
Hoping her love will come again.
Oh—no more war, we long for peace,
Let love arise, let hatred cease.

Not in blood shall we color this land,
But in gentle shades of grace.
Not with rage shall we shape our fate,
But with kindness we will embrace.
Let every border fade away,
Let every hand reach out and find
A fearless light of endless love
To heal the wounds of humankind.

If only we shared a little care,
Spread kindness all around,
This world would bloom in joyful songs,
And no more cries would sound.
Let every human be a friend,
A shelter through the storm,
May war be gone forevermore,
And love keep every heart warm.

No more war—we long for peace,
Let the earth become a garden bright,
May every child’s eyes be filled
With dreams of color and light.
Victory to humankind,
And to humanity’s flame—
Let love forever be our name.

✍Bangladesh, June 2025
—————————————
About the Poet:
Shakhawat Hossen Saadman or S.K. Saadman is an educator and a poet, novelist, script & lyrics, public speaker & mentor of (DYD) writer. Saadama’n born in from Chattogram, Bangladesh. He completed BBA and MBA in Marketing from Southern University before joining as an assistant teacher in Quantum Cosmo School & College. He loves writing poems, stories, novels and songs, especially in English & Bengali. He is also absorbed in social work in her leisure.

/15/

NEVER SURRENDER

Poem by Yusuf Achmad
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Sighs, whispers, trials unceasing.
They doubt, they judge, they test.
Praises and sweet words drift with the wind,
Yet my heart stands firm, beating with certainty.

My soul speaks, fighting against limits,
They see me small, confined by space.
Yet my dreams transcend the horizon,
Like dawn’s dew, unshaken in morning’s embrace.

They linger only in uncertainty,
Their steps fragile as mist, unable to move forward.
Buried desires fade without light,
Whispering like winds searching for home.

Yet a step need not threaten,
No need to disturb the night with cries.
Love is painted through quiet acts,
Not through voices dissolving in the distance.
Sharp gazes do not always bring wisdom,
When minds are clouded in shadow.
While a soul in quiet contemplation,
Ignites a light that never dims.

I will not surrender, though obstacles arise,
A hundred, a thousand, a million steps shall not falter.
Promises whispered by the wind keep glowing,
Never fading, never extinguished.

Though this body is not as strong as steel,
Conviction gleams like stars above.
Though trials crash like waves unfurling,
I stand steadfast, facing the vast horizon.

Oh, uncertainty that seeks to test,
Step aside, do not obstruct.
My silence is not hesitation,
But the steadfastness of an unshaken soul.

Should you cast a challenge of time,
Though doubt’s whispers try to deafen me,
I accept, walking forward without fear,
Proving that my resolve will never fade.

✍Surabaya, East Java, INDONESIA,
November 3th, 2023.
(Poetry Book of DELULA JAYA by Yusuf Achmad, 2025)

————————————–
About The Poet:
Yusuf Achmad is the pen name of Yusuf, M.Pd., who currently serves as the Principal of SMK SAINTREN Al-Hasan in Surabaya and as the Chair of the Private Vocational High School Principals’ Forum (MKKS SMK Swasta) in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. He is also recognized for his poetry collection Belanggur di Nyamplungan. Most recently, his new anthology titled DELULA JAYA was officially launched and discussed during the Poetry-BLaD & IOSoP 2025 event, which can be viewed on the official event website: https://youtu.be/aO6U0YsaFb0?si=5vLGFj451U1zo0N
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suaraanaknegerinewsplus/

/16/

WHENEVER

A Poem by Alok Ranjan
(INDIA) 🇮🇳

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-India, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Whenever I have been beaten up
It is under caste issue
The right decision has never been taken
It is put in the rank of ragging

The organization keeps protecting itself
On paper
It does not want voices
Because voices
Want change.

But for how long will atrocities be hidden
And protected
With courtesy
Someday the ink of the officers’ pens will end
And they will also get time
To think about the truth.

✍INDIA, 2025
———————————————
About the Poet:
Alok Ranjan is the editor of the magazine ‘Prashnachin’ by profession. He has been awarded the Bihar Yuva Sahityakaar of the Year by the Bihar Hindi Sahitya Sammelan three times in a row for his literary contribution. Alok is the founder of Hindi Sahitya Parishad, Delhi University. His organization works to bring a technical revolution in Hindi at the global level. So far, he has published more than three books and has worked on dozens of books. Alok Ranjan is very active in literature.

/17/

TROUBLED MOUNTAINS

Poem by Sezgi Kaya
(TURKEY) 🇹🇷

[PPIPM-Turkey, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Mountains, listen to my troubles,
I came to this world once,
I have seen hypocritical, liar people,
Mountains, hear my cry,

Mountains, listen to my troubles,
In the drunken tavern of the empty world,
In the humming sound of I don’t know which winter,
What I saw and heard,

Mountains, listen to my troubles,
In the dark streets of madness,
In the shadow of the dim and flickering light burning in the lamp, I was about to brew in the light of many silent shadows.

TURKEY, 2025
————————————
About the Poet:
Sezgi Kaya was born in Altındağ, Ankara. She studied Philosophy at Anadolu University. She studied acting and art at Sadri Alışık Cultural Center.
She has an indispensable passion for writing and reading. To date, many of his literary works have been published in various literary media. She is a columnist in various digital visual publications. Many of his poems have been published in national and international literary magazines. Her columns have been published in many news sites. She has many awards in the field of national and international literature.

/18/

THE FIREFLY

A Poem by
Dr. Bhawani Shankar Nial
(INDIA) 🇮🇳

[ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC, PPIPM-India]

Translated from Odia into English by
Gobinda Sahoo
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

On an auspicious day
Taking a little flare
From the blazes
I had begun a new life.

I had conceived;
Of filling some area with sunlight
And to others moonlight,
Tearing down
A mountainful of darkness
Lined up for centuries,
The ambrosiac ecstasy
Of the short-lived hospitality.

But failed,
For the darkness of my time
Was so dense and intense that
It was dispersing
The fetal existence of little flames.

Still,
Not being disappointed
In the war within
I struggle.
Till date
In each cell and nerve
I’m addicted to alight.

Kalahandi, INDIA, 2020
(Poetry Book of “An Encounter with Death” by Bhawani Shankar Nial, 2021)
——————————–
About the Poet:
Dr. Bhawani Shankar Nial’s is an internationally acclaimed poet, living in Sriradha, Bhawanipatna, INDIA.

The poem above is one of poems published in Dr. Bhawani Shankar Nial’s Poetry Book “AN ENCOUNTER WITH DEATH” (2021). The poem. above is published on the Indonesian digital media of suaraanaknegerinews.com by getting permission from the poet himself.

Dr. Bhawani Shankar Nial’s including “LOCKDOWN” poetry book, has been translated into more than 24 international languages. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored as a Global Literary Figure at Kalahandi Utsav Ghumura-2025. His poetry bridges cultures and inspires worldwide.

/19/

I SAW FIREFLIES IN YOUR EYES

Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ASM, Literacy Community, ACC SHILA, WPM-Indonesia] ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

I saw fireflies in your eyes—
tiny beings,
yet they carried the sky.

They shine not to be praised,
but to remind
that light
does not always come from the sun.
Sometimes, it’s born from wounds
that refuse to repay darkness
with more darkness,
that refuse to repay evil
with a blaze of vengeance.

Their glow is dim,
but steadfast.
They do not curse the night,
only ignite hope.

Your eyes—
not weapons,
but wells of truth
gathering tears
without flooding the world.

From there,
I saw lands being plundered,
mouths silenced,
faces turned to death statistics
by hands
that lost all feeling.

Yet the fireflies’ wings kept fluttering.
They never flew too high,
only high enough
to be seen
by those lost
and longing to return
to their own light.

You do not shout
with sharpened words,
but with tenderness
stronger
than the scream of fire.

Your defiance is no explosion,
but dew that keeps falling,
cooling the earth’s wounds
abandoned by the sky.

You never meant to be a hero,
yet every step you take
declares one truth:
Humanity cannot be killed,
as long as there are souls
who choose the light of truth.

And if the world forgets,
let this poem be a monument:
that within your eyes
lived a small light
never longing to win—
only to save
what remains
of our human conscience.

✍Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025

/20/

DIALOGUE WITH AN ANGEL FRIEND

Poem by Timothee Bordenave
(FRANCE) 🇫🇷

[ACC Shanghai International Literary Association: ACC SHILA, PPIPM-France, Poetry-Pen International Community: PPIC]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

An Angel told me one fine day,
That the Angels hide when they weep,
Then this night I wept in my sleep,
During a dream where I had prayed.

“What is the meaning of this dream ?
”Asked I to my good Angel friend.
“You cried to the memories mend,
To you, they were difficult, Tim.

O you Angelic guides above,
I wish my life could be better,
Made of Justice, good manners, love,
Harmony, temperance and joy!

Please, provide me the letters,
Of the Book ! I’d be a good boy.

Paris, FRANCE, 2022
—————————————
About the Poet
Timothée Bordenave is a French artist, photographer, and writer from Paris, deeply influenced by surrealism, cubism, and expressionism. Alongside his artistic career, he has also been a librarian and a data scientist, directing two major libraries in Paris, further enriching his multidisciplinary approach to creativity.

With an early passion for art, Bordenave initially pursued law studies at Paris II University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Private Law in 2006. However, his artistic calling led him on a diverse creative journey, spanning visual arts, literature, poetry, philosophy, and music.

He has exhibited extensively in France and internationally, with solo and collective shows at notable venues such as Galerie Fabrique Contemporaine, L’Entracte, and East End Collective in San Francisco. A significant milestone in his career was his 2022 exhibition at the Town Hall of Paris, Sixth Borough, one of the city’s most prestigious cultural spaces.

His upcoming exhibitions in 2025 will further extend his global reach, with shows scheduled in Italy, Spain, Austria, and the United States.

Beyond the visual arts, Bordenave is a prolific writer, having published numerous poetry collections, novellas, and essays, including La Langue des Oiseaux (2023) and Pilgrimage (2023). His work has also appeared in global poetry anthologies such as Canto Planetario (2023). He remains an active figure in France’s creative scene, curating exhibitions and supporting fellow artists.

Notably, he holds the distinction of being the youngest poet ever admitted and published by the Société des Poètes Français, surpassing the record once held by Louis Aragon.

/21/

AT THE EDGE OF SILENCE, WE UPRIGHT THE TRUTH

Poem by Leni Marlina
(INDONESIA) 🇮🇩

[UNP Padang, PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ASM, Literacy Community, ACC SHILA, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

We upright the truth
at the edge of silence—
not from lofty pulpits
or power’s loudspeakers,
but from chests
that refuse to answer
with the same poison.

We do not scream,
but every beat
is a statement:
that even stillness
can shake
a tyrant
standing on lies.

For there is courage
that does not stab,
there is a power
that does not kill—
only stands,
meets the wind’s eye,
and keeps guarding
a small light
beneath the dimness
of a trembling world.

✍Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025
————————‐—–
About the Poet:
Leni Marlina is a writer, poet, and lecturer from Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. Deeply rooted in the realms of literature and education, she has long been a passionate advocate for literacy movements across local, national, and international platforms.

Since 2022, Leni has been an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA) – West Sumatra Branch, under the leadership of Chairperson: Sastri Bakry and Secretary: Armaidi Tanjung.

In May 2025, she was honored with the prestigious title of Outstanding Writer of the Year by Satu Pena West Sumatra during the Gala Dinner of the 3rd International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF-3), held at the Governor’s Auditorium in West Sumatra on May 9th, 2025. The recognition was a tribute to her significant contributions to literature and her dedication to promoting literary culture in Indonesia and beyond.

Internationally, Leni is a member of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), led by renowned Chinese poet Anna Keiko. Since 2024, she has served as Indonesia’s Poetry Ambassador for ACC SHILA, and in 2025, she was appointed Chief Representative of Poetry in Asia for the ACC SHILA Ambassadorial Group—fostering poetic and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and the global community.

That same year, she also joined the World Poetry Movement (WPM) – Indonesia, coordinated by Sastri Bakry, with the movement’s global headquarters based in Colombia.

Earlier in her career, while pursuing her master’s degree in writing and literature in Australia (2011–2013), Leni became a member of the Victorian Writers Association, further enriching her engagement with international literary circles.

In addition to her accolades and memberships, Leni organized a major literary event on May 31, 2025: Poetry BLaD (Poetry Book Launching and Discussion) and IOSoP (International Online Seminar on Poetry). The program was sponsored by Suara Anak Negeri News in collaboration with the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang—showcasing her commitment to developing literary forums and nurturing poetic dialogue across cultures.

Since 2006, Leni has served as a lecturer at the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, where she actively contributes to the university’s threefold mission: teaching, research, and community service. She mentors students in language, literature, creative writing, and academic composition.
Leni’s passion for literacy and community development is reflected in several social and digital-based initiatives she founded and leads, including:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC)
2. Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC)
3. PPIPM-Indonesia (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
Starcom
5. Linguistic Talk Community (Ling-TC)
6. Literature Talk Community (Littalk-C)
7. Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC)
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C)
Beyond the walls of academia, Leni also engages as a freelance journalist, columnist, editor, and digital media contributor. Her published works can be accessed by the public via this official link:
🔗 https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/category/puisi-leni-marlina-bagi-anak-bangsa