“The Sun That Seemed to Forget to Rise When You Were About to Leave”: A Collection of Poems by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Satu Pena Sumbar, Kreator Era AI, FSM, ACC SHILA)
"The Sun That Seemed to Forget to Rise When You Were About to Leave": A Collection of Poems by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA). Image Source: Starcom Indonesia's Artworks No. 925-102 (Assisted by AI).
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The Sun That Seemed to Forget to Rise When You Were About to Leave
A Poem by Leni Marlina
This morning,
as you prepared to leave,
the sun forgot its way to the sky.
The heavens hung—
a blank page, untouched by color.
Birds lingered on brittle branches,
waiting for dawn’s first whisper,
but no light, no song,
only time ticking, shadowless,
adrift without a guide.
Like you—
slipping beyond the threshold,
and perhaps, the world we knew
is unraveling at its seams.
I can only hope
it holds together
until you return from that distant shore.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/2/
Rain That Walks Backward
A Poem by Leni Marlina
On this road,
rain does not fall.
It rises.
Droplets unfasten themselves from the earth,
drifting upward—
as if to take back a farewell.
Beneath an empty umbrella,
I stand still,
watching puddles unmake themselves,
watching regret bloom into clouds.
Perhaps this rain
longs to begin again.
But you—
you are already gone.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/3/
A Bridge That Is Never Built
A Poem by Leni Marlina
Every night,
this city tries to build a bridge—
a path to where you stand.
But every morning,
it crumbles into dust.
Steel bends,
stone collapses,
like a body too frail to carry longing,
too weary to resist surrender.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/4/
Time Spinning Inside a Bottle
A Poem by Leni Marlina
I poured seconds into a bottle,
tilted it, turned it,
let them swirl like aged wine.
But time refused to move.
It clung to itself—
a whisper circling the same syllables,
a farewell sentence
never finding its end.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/5/
A Paper Boat That Never Reaches the Sea
A Poem by Leni Marlina
I folded your name into a paper boat,
set it adrift upon the river’s back.
But before it could reach the sea,
waves seized it,
dragging it beneath,
letting your name dissolve
into the silt of time.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/6/
A Shadow That Walks Alone
A Poem by Leni Marlina
Last night,
I saw your shadow—
wandering the city’s empty streets.
It should have been trailing your steps,
but you were already too far ahead,
and it—
too tired to follow.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/7/
A City That Forgets Its Own Name
A Poem by Leni Marlina
Since you left,
this city no longer remembers itself.
The streets stretch longer,
traffic lights hesitate,
buildings lean toward each other,
whispering—
“Who once lived here?”
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/8/
The Wind That Brings No Sound
A Poem by Leni Marlina
The wind, once a courier of stories,
tonight carries only silence.
No whispers, no letters.
Only hollow air,
waiting for a voice
that will never return.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/9/
The Waves That Never Return What They Take
A Poem by Leni Marlina
Once,
I wrote your name upon the shore.
The waves came,
claimed it,
and carried it away.
I waited,
hoping the tide would bring it back.
But the sea—
it only knows how to take,
never how to return.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
/10/
A Garden Without Spring
A Poem by Leni Marlina
The flowers in this garden
have never bloomed.
They stand still,
rooted in silence,
waiting for a spring
that will never arrive.
Perhaps,
they already know—
you are never coming back.
And so, they choose
not to grow.
Padang, West Sumatra, 2017
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This collection of poems (No.1 – 10) was originally written bilingually (English-Indonesia) by Leni Marlina in 2017. The poems were later revisited, revised, and first published digitally in 2025.
Leni Marlina is a celebrated Indonesian poet, writer, and educator whose works explore various themes of resilience, healing, and cultural identity, friendship, religy, natural environment, education, the voice of voiceless. A distinguished member of the literary world, she is affiliated with Indonesian Writer of SATU PENA- Indonesia, 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 part-time 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 (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi 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)
