“The Voice of the River”: A Poetry Collection by Leni Marlina (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA)
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The Voice of the River
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Suara Sungai”)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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You have known me—
from the birth of my waters,
where stories stir in quiet springs,
spilling between cliffs and valleys,
etching soft echoes
upon each stone.
From my first wandering,
I have traced the body of the earth,
gathering shards of untold tales,
secrets I never dared
surrender to the sky.
Yet I run, relentless,
never turning back
to the syllables of my own name,
though beneath my quiet depths,
forgotten wounds
still sleep.
I have drifted far,
leaving whispers on the riverbanks,
offering drink to those who thirst,
though they have long ceased
to seek the source.
Tell me,
can they still hear my voice,
woven in currents beneath bridges
that no longer recall
how I once carved their way?
In the end,
I will surrender to the sea,
where the sky’s reflection
ripples upon my restless skin.
I am not lost—
only searching for a place
where my story
will rise again.
Yarra River, Melbourne,
Australia, 2012
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The Light That Never Leaves
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Cahaya yang Tak Pernah Pergi)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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I arrive with the morning mist,
slipping through the window’s breath,
touching the darkness
that has forgotten the dawn.
Yet they shut their doors,
mistaking my glow for a threat,
for none dare to face the light
before knowing its meaning.
So I wait in the corners,
leaving only shadows
they believe are mine.
Until the dark consumes all,
and they begin searching,
thinking I have gone.
But I am the light that never leaves,
only waiting
for their eyes to open.
For I am not the one who fades—
I am the one who waits,
until they find me again.
Melbourne Square,
Australia, 2012
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Letters Crawling into the Roots of Memory
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Huruf yang Merambat ke Akar Ingatan”)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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Once, I was buried in silent soil,
lost beneath the dust
that erased all trace of my name.
No one heard me,
no one believed,
yet unseen,
my words crept into the roots of memory.
They thought I had perished,
that no voice remained
to call me back.
But words never truly die—
they merely wait for their season to return.
And on a day they least expect,
I will rise, lush with meaning,
sheltering those
who once planted me unknowingly,
never seeing I had grown into a tree.
I am not a word that vanished,
only one that chose
a different way to endure.
Melbourne Square,
Australia, 2012
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A River at the Edge of Its Journey
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Sungai Sampai Ujung Perjalanan”)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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I flow,
carrying sins not my own,
holding the wounds
they have cast into my body.
Yet still,
they drink from me in thirst,
forgetting the filth
they themselves have poured.
I could turn to poison.
I could choose to stop.
But if I cease,
who will sustain them?
So I keep flowing—
not because I forget,
not because I surrender,
but because I know—
at the end of my journey,
it is not I who will thirst,
but them.
Yarra River, Australia, 2012
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The Color That Does Not Die
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Warna yang Tidak Mati”)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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I am the color
they find unsettling—
the red they fear,
the blue they cast aside.
They wish to drain me dry,
turn me into gray,
a shade more palatable to their eyes.
But color does not die,
only waits for its time.
And when the world runs out of beauty,
when the walls grow weary of their emptiness,
they will seek me again.
And when they ask,
“Why did we erase you?”
I will only smile,
for I know—
the sweetest forgiveness
is letting them discover their own regret.
Melbourne Square,
Australia, 2012
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The River That Never Forgets
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Sungai yang Tak Pernah Lupa”)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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I flow without eyes,
yet I have seen more
than any story they dare to tell.
I have read the histories
buried in my depths—
the sunken ships left unrecorded,
the nameless bones
lowered into my arms without prayer.
I flow without a voice,
yet I have swallowed more secrets
than my own bitter tears.
In my chest,
they discard promises unfulfilled,
writing them into the mud,
believing I will forget.
But the river never forgets.
I remain silent,
waiting for the day
when the land can no longer
hide its own corpses,
until they are forced
to gaze into my glassy skin
and see their sins
floating back to the surface.
Yarra River, Melbourne,
Australia, 2012
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The River That Forgives
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(The Indonesian title of the poem is “Sungai yang Pemaaf”)
A Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
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I know how many wounds
they have poured into me.
I know how many sins
they have entrusted to my currents,
believing I will never speak.
They drink from me,
then spit me out
with poison I never asked to hold.
They wash their hands in me,
then call me unclean.
I could stop.
I could be the blade
that wounds them in return.
But I choose to flow.
Because I know—
at the end of my journey,
it is not I who will thirst,
but them.
They will seek me again,
weeping at my shore,
begging for a drop
of the water they once scorned.
And I will give.
Not because they deserve it,
but because forgiveness
is a river deeper than hatred.
Yarra River, Melbourne,
Australia, 2012
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The poetry collection above which consists of poems No. 1- 7 were originally written bilingually (English-Indonesian) by Leni Marlina back in 2012, purely as a personal hobby and private collection. At that time, she was in the middle of her Master of Writing and Literature program (focusing on Literary Studies, Creative Writing & Children’s Literature) in Australia, supported by an Indonesian government scholarship. Years later, these poems were revisited, revised, and, for the first time, gradually published through digital platforms in 2025.
Leni has been an active force in the literary world, particularly as a member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA, West Sumatra Chapter) since its inception in 2022, and as part of the Indonesian AI Era Creators Community. She is also a dedicated member of the International Poets and Literary Writers Community (ACC) in Shanghai, and in 2024, she was honored with the role of Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association. Her literary journey even includes previous involvement with Victoria’s Writer Association in Australia. Since 2006, she has passionately served as a lecturer in the English Language and Literature Study Program at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang.
Beyond her academic and literary pursuits, Leni has been instrumental in establishing and leading few digital communities that focus on literature, language, education, and social empowerment. These include:
✨ 1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC) – https://shorturl.at/acFv1
✨ 2. Poetry-Pen International Community – A hub for global poetic expressions
✨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 – A space for thought-provoking discussions on language
✨ 6. Literature Talk Community – A gathering of minds passionate about literature
✨ 7. Translation Practice Community – Bridging languages through translation
✨8. English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C) – Supporting language and literacy growth
