“THE TRULY BIRTHDAY”: Poems Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
/1/
THE TRULY BIRTHDAY
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Today,
the day you were born.
The sky doesn’t speak your name—
yet it knows the hush of gratitude
growing quietly
inside a body learning
to forgive
the cruelty of time.
Rain begins to fall,
as if the earth were whispering:
it is not only age that gathers,
but the wounds—
softly catching fire,
becoming a small lantern
in the hollow of your chest.
You stand
behind the windowpane,
welcoming each drop
as if welcoming prayers
without voice,
but with memory—
and a map that leads
to your heart
this very day.
–– and do you know? ––
sometimes,
a birthday is not a celebration
but a silent pilgrimage
into one’s own body—
which has carried
a thousand sorrows
without ever asking
for even a single
“congratulations.”
No guests arrive,
only the wind tapping gently,
bringing the scent
of an unlamented past.
No cake,
but the sky slices its clouds
and pours drizzle
into the cup of loneliness
you placed at dawn.
And you sip it
slowly,
murmuring in your chest:
“Thank You, God.
You sent the rain—
so I’d remember:
I do not grow older
alone.”
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/2/
PILGRIMAGE TO THE WOUNDED BODY
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
This morning,
I walk
to visit my body—
step by step,
like a stranger
in a house once called home.
The old wounds
no longer bleed,
but rise as carvings—
unspeakable,
felt only
like pain
that has learned to live
beneath the smile.
This body,
a map of places
I never truly left—
a dusted embrace,
a promise fossilized
on the neck of night,
a prayer drowned
before the tongue
could finish its longing.
But this morning,
I carry no flowers
to old graves.
Instead, I bring the sun—
borrowed
from the rubble of hope—
and scatter its light
on every scar
I now name:
a second birth.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/3/
THE DAY MY SELF BECAME MY OWN HOME
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena-West Sumatra, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia]
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
On that day,
I stopped waiting
for someone to knock.
No longer hoped
for the sound of steps
returning lost feelings.
I sat
in the living room of my chest,
offering a warm cup of forgiveness
to every sin
I had committed
against myself.
I opened the windows of my eyes,
let light in
without permission
from the past.
And for the first time,
the walls of my heart
did not tremble
at the shadow’s hush.
That day,
I became a home—
not for others,
but for the self.
Its roof: compassion,
its floor: bravery,
its windows:
where I now look toward the future
without flinching.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/4/
GIVING THANKS FOR AGE
Poem by Leni Marlina
Each year is a garden,
and we—
not merely blooms,
but roots that remember
why the soil sobs
after the rain.
Time does not come to rule.
It arrives
as a guest at the heart’s door,
bearing a mirror
polished by the sky.
And we—
we watch the body
gather years like fallen leaves,
while the soul
opens wider,
more tender
with each season.
Age is not a burden,
but a trust,
a gentle surrender.
We give thanks—
not simply for breath,
but for having loved
entirely
for the name of God who creates us and universe.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/5/
SHEDDING FESR AND GRIEF
Poem by Leni Marlina
We are roses
that refuse
to be ornament.
We bloom from wounds,
drinking the fire of sunrays
with a devotion
unshaken.
When time plucks
each petal from us,
we do not plead.
Instead,
we open
our hearts
and say:
“Let me fall—
into someone’s
quiet prayer.”
For living
is not enduring.
It is becoming fragrance,
even when
only thorns remain.
We are love
that no longer begs
to be praised—
for we live on
in how we helped
lift fear
and grief
from another’s face.
Padang, West Sumatra, INDONESIA, 2025
/6/
THE GARDEN WITHIN THE SELF
Poem by Leni Marlina
There is a garden
within us
that time
cannot wilt.
There,
age does not decay—
it ripens into wisdom.
Time does not leave—
it becomes a moon,
shedding quiet light
on our wounds.
We are not merely human—
we are fields of prayer
that bloom again and again,
even as death
passes like a shadow
across our seasons.
We give thanks—
because today
the dew still whispers
our name
so gently,
and love—
yes, love still stays,
even when our home
is no more
than a heart
still under quiet
repair.
Padang, West Sumatra,
INDONESIA, 2025
——————————————-
About the Poet: Leni Marlina
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 Marlina 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 Marlina 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
