UNDER THE SHADE OF ACACIA

Poem by Leni Marlina

–

You asked what my heart says about you.

You are like the acacia,
your leaves like tongues of fire in action,
as if reaching for the sky with boundless ambition,
shielding a small world from the scorching heat,
like a silent protector spreading its arms.

You are like an invisible giant embrace,
sheltering the earth with unseen breaths,
hugging the soil with roots’ kisses
creeping like the traces of time.

You taught me that your acacia’s strength
is the shadow that swallows
the sun’s heat without burning,
teaching the world
to live without seeking applause.

Padang, West Sumatra, 2001

—

IN THE SILENCE OF BAMBOO
Poem by Leni Marlina

Do not doubt yourself in my eyes,
you are like bamboo,
your body a quiet path piercing the sky,
empty yet full
like a space waiting to be filled by fate.

You are like the whispering wind passing by,
carrying the forgotten secrets of the world,
letting every branch
become a silent witness to every change.

You taught me that your flexibility
is the strength that tames storms
without sound,
without anger,
only through silence
more resonant than thunder.

Padang, West Sumatra, 2001

—

WITHIN THE EMBRACE OF RATTAN
Poem by Leni Marlina

Often you ask me,
how do I learn from you?
To me, you are like rattan,
binding the world with unseen grips,
weaving time into infinite knots,
wrapping fragility
with an embrace that never lets go.

You are like an invisible flow
binding everything separated; your coils hum and
echo in empty spaces,
gathering the neglected into wholeness.

You taught me that strength
lies in bonds that never resist,
in embraces that never end,
that sometimes, only by entwining
can we create a stronger world.

Padang, West Sumatra, 2001

—

IN THE SOFT TOUCH OF COTTON
Poem by Leni Marlina

You smiled with satisfaction
when I called you like cotton.

You are bright and gentle, yet you bear the world’s weight and darkness,
your fibers like clouds that never fall,
bringing unseen rain
yet refreshing the earth with its coolness.

You are like the touch of dreams,
invisible but felt in every breath,
you are the soft caress that soothes wounds
without words, without promises.

You taught me that gentleness
is like water that calms,
that in a soft touch,
we find greater strength
than in any shout.

Padang, West Sumatra, 2001

—

IN THE BREAK OF CINNAMON BRANCHES
Poem by Leni Marlina

You screamed hysterically
when I said,
you are like cinnamon,
your body like a prayer burned,
the cracks in your form release aromas,
like magma flowing from unseen wounds.

You are like an eternal flame,
warming the world with its searing essence,
every break in you is the beginning
of a deeper fragrance.

You taught me that wounds
are scents that cannot be discarded,
that destruction is not the end,
but the starting point
of courage
that cannot be stopped.

Padang, West Sumatra, 2001

——————

Background
These poems were originally written in Indonesian by Leni Marlina as a hobby and part of her personal poetry collection in 2001. They were later revised and first published digitally in 2024. Leni translete those poems collection into English by herself.

Leni Marlina is an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association, SATU PENA (West Sumatra branch), and an active member of the International Poets & Writers Community ACC in Shanghai. She serves as Indonesia’s Poetry Ambassador for the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association and is involved with the Victoria’s Writer Association in Australia. Since 2006, she has been a lecturer at the English Language and Literature Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang.

She is also the founder and leader of several digital communities focused on literature, education, and social initiatives.