The Timeless Voice of Poetry : Preserving Emotion And Humanity

An Essay by Kiki Afrilia

[PPIPM-Indonesia & Poetry-Pen International Community, Poetry-BLaD & IOSoP 2025]
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Why do we often think that poetry has lost its place in this fast- moving modern world? In reality, poetry continues to bring and communicate the weight of human emotions such as loss, longing, and even suffering across time and distance. Poetry reminds us that no matter how much the world changes, the human need to express pain, hope, and memories remains the same. In this essay, I would like to show that poetry still holds an important role in recording human experience, as reflected in three poems by Leni Marlina: “Rain Away from Memory” (2011), “The City that Lost Its Shadow” (2017) , and “The Scorched Tongues and the Cries of Palestinian Children in Refugee Tents” (2022). All this poems has been published at digital platform in 2024 on online media of suaraanaknegerinews.com.

The first is “The Rain Walks Away from Memory” (2011), written in Burwood, Melbourne, Australia. The poem tells the story of rain that once brought life into the world, but is now rejected by familiar places. The imagery in this poem reflects the experience of someone who is no longer welcomed and accepted. The strength of this poem is that it uses vivid and beautiful metaphors to express the feeling of abandonment. The poet shows rain that becomes mist on unfamiliar hills or dew that does not know when it will fall. These subtle but strong images allow the reader to feel the emotional weight of the poem without needing to be told directly.

Next is “The City that Lost Its Shadow” (2017), which tells the story of a person who experiences deep sadness after being left behind by a friend. The depiction of the city losing its shadow is a metaphor for emptiness and confusion. The poet describes how even the sun cannot be sure where it will fall, and how night also comes on its own, emphasizing how grief can affect everything around us. The poem shows us a faded city, flickering lights, and a person walking at a crossroads. The image allows the reader to feel the same sadness. When we cannot explain our emotions, these images become a bridge between what we feel and what others can understand.

The last one is “The Scorched Tongues and the Cries of Palestinian Children in Refugee Tents” (2022) by Leni Marlina. This poem talks about the people of Gaza who live in suffering. This poem is very powerful and emotional. In the first line, the poem says: “My tongue burns beneath the sun, not with fire, but with hunger beyond reach”. This means that the depth of suffering from hunger is so deep that it feels like it is burning. “This hunger is the house I linhabit” This poem describes living with pain every day, as if this is his home, and being unable to escape from this situation. This poem is short but full of meaning. It helps the reader imagine the life of someone in a refugee camp-living under a broken tent, waiting for help that never comes. It speaks to people around the world to stop ignoring the suffering of innocent people.

In conclusion, poetry is not useless or outdated. Through these three poems, we can see that poetry is still very much alive and necessary. Poetry remains a powerful tool to express unheard pain, memories of suffering, and a sense of humanity. Poetry transforms suffering in a desolate land into something visible and understandable. So, poetry still speaks to emotions and humanity in a fast-moving world. And until now and beyond we need poetry to show feelings.
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2025

Short Biography of the Writer:

References:

Marlina, Leni (2011). “The Rain Walks Away from Memory”. The Selected Poetry Collection in Media suaraanaknegerinews.com. First digital publication : February 14, 2025. [Accessed: April 2025]
Link: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/rain-in-an-empty-letter-a-selected-poetry-collection-ppipm-indonesia-poetry-pen-ic-indonesian-writers-of-satu-pena-sumbar-indonesian-creators-of-ai-era/

Marlina, Leni (2017). “The City That Lost Its Shadows (2017)”. The Selected Poetry Collection in Media suaraanaknegerinews.com.
First digital publication : February 11, 2025. [Accessed: April 2025].
Link: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/when-my-friend-left-a-poetry-collection-by-leni-marlina-ppipm-indonesia-poetry-pen-ic-indonesian-writer-of-satu-pena-sumbar-indonesian-creator-of-ai-era/

Marlina, Leni (2022). “The Scorched Tongue & The Cries of Palestinian Children in The Refugee Tents”. The Selected Poetry Collection in Media suaraanaknegerinews.com. First digital publication : February 2025. [Accessed: April 2025]
Link:https://lidahrakyat.com/en/article/285/the-scorched-tongue-the-cries-of-palestinian-children-in-the-refugee-tents

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About Kiki Afrilia:

Kiki Afrilia is an undergraduate student at English Languange and Literature Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. She was born in Ladang Panjang, Pasaman Timur, West Sumatra in 2006, and she is currently living in Padang, West Sumatra. Kiki is an alumna of SMKN 1 Kinali, West Sumatra.

Kiki Afrilia is an undergraduate student at English Languange and Literature Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. She was born in Ladang Panjang, Pasaman Timur, West Sumatra in 2006, and she is currently living in Padang, West Sumatra. Kiki is an alumna of SMKN 1 Kinali, West Sumatra.

In addition, Kiki is an active member of several communities, including PPIPM-Indonesia (Poetry Community of Indonesian Society’s Inspiration), Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC), Littalk-C (Literary Talk Community), and EL4C (English Language Learning, Literary, and Literacy Community).

The piece by Kiki 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, held by Media Suaraanaknegerinews.com in collaboration with UNP.

Kiki’s presentation video from the event is publicly accessible via the following official link: