“When Happiness Blinks”: The Selected Poetry Collection (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writers of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creators of AI Era)
Illustration of "When Happiness Blinks": The Selected Poetry Collection (PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesiam Writers of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creators of AI Era). Image Source: Starcom Indonesia's Artworks No. 925-94 (Assisted by AI).
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When Happiness Blinks
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Happiness blinks—
a fleeting ghost upon the eye,
a lamp that never dims,
yet vanishes the moment we draw near.
It runs,
hiding behind breathless mirrors,
nestled in honeyed words that wound.
We chase it through wounds that never close,
through echoes of steps time has erased.
Happiness is not a road we walk,
nor a place we rest.
It comes—
disguised in laughter,
then leaves,
whispering a question—was it ever real?
It is an illusion stepping backward,
a mirage retreating with the dusk,
and we,
too hurried in our longing,
never learn that happiness lasts
only as long as we believe it does.
_ Melbourne, Australia, 2012
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Ketika Bahagia Berkedip”.
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When Happiness Is Questioned
Poem by Yusuf Achmad
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesia Creator of AI Era]
Indonesian-English Translator: Leni Marlina
Why ask the way to happiness
if they say money is everything?
It might be true—or perhaps a lie.
Happiness is not held in coins,
not found in sleepless nights,
nor in laughter echoing through crowded rooms.
Happiness can be simple—
a moment of stillness,
a quiet breath,
no need for questions,
no need to chase.
I sit,
wrapped in thought,
asking for nothing, forcing nothing.
Some find it in meditation,
some in whispered prayers.
I find it in ink,
letting words spill across the page.
Sing your soul’s song,
write your heart’s echo—
let joy take root where it will.
For the young,
happiness is the road untraveled,
the dream yet to bloom,
the fire yet to rise.
For fathers and mothers,
it is the laughter of their children.
For the elderly,
the warmth of a grandchild’s hand.
For friends,
a shared tear, a shared smile.
I smile,
feeling the warmth of an unseen embrace.
Happiness has many doors—
it lingers in the simplest of days,
in the gentlest of moments,
in the quiet love we often forget to name.
_ Surabaya, East Java
Indonesia
December 29th, 2024
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Bahagia Ditanya”.
/3/
When Happiness Falls
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Happiness falls into the darkened sky,
a nameless grave where silence drowns.
It flickers in constellations broken,
like a prayer that has forgotten kindness.
It drifts alone in hollow space,
tossed between unseen tides.
Not a planet, not a star—
just a dot too faint to recall.
Perhaps it is a wound unspoken,
swallowed by the black mouth of time.
Or the echo of a past unlived,
dissolving in the frozen wind.
I wait, but it does not descend,
burning at the horizon’s edge,
falling without a single verse.
Perhaps happiness is always this way—
a flame snuffed out before we
have the chance to miss its warmth.
_ Melbourne, Australia, 2012
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Ketika Bahagia Gugur”.
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When Happiness Is Trapped
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesia Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesia Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Happiness is trapped beneath cracked nails,
scraped hard, leaving scars behind.
It peels within the flesh of wounds,
whispering pain—
but who listens?
It is not the gleam on store shelves,
nor the shadow in a false mirror.
It crawls between damp floor tiles,
in a windowless room without light.
In this city, time hunts it down,
hunger devours it, dust grinds it away.
They seek it in steel bars,
but it vanishes between grief’s embrace.
Happiness is not a smile on pale lips,
not promises whispered at glittering feasts.
It is the shiver beneath an empty plate,
or the silence that strikes without mercy.
_ Melbourne
Australia, 2012
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Ketika Bahagia Terjepit”.
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Happiness Left in the Cracks of Time
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Happiness is a sound—
hanging on the tongue of a window,
slicing morning with the hum
of a bird that forgot to sing.
It is not round, not whole,
it slips between the cracks of the floor,
evaporates from a cup
never raised to trembling lips.
I search for it in the folds of light,
in the creases of time drifting like dust—
but even dust knows how to disappear.
Perhaps happiness is the echo of footsteps
striking the pavement without hesitation.
Perhaps it is a rocking chair,
creaking softly,
cradling memories that refuse to sleep.
So where is this happiness we keep speaking of?
Perhaps it exists,
perhaps it is only a small fracture in glass—
catching the light,
but never meant to be held.
_ Melbourne
Australia, 2012
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Bahagia yang Tertinggal di Retak Waktu”.
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When Happiness Peels Away
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
Happiness peels away from the morning walls,
hanging on the branches of silence.
It whispers to the wind’s ear,
then leaps into the abyss of day.
I do not ask where it hides,
perhaps in a loose button,
perhaps in the shivering remains of coffee,
or in the fingers of a pen that has lost its ink.
For the young, happiness is feet that keep running,
chasing a light that never stands still.
For the old, happiness is a shadow of memories,
folding longing into the album of time.
But is there ever a happiness that is whole?
Or is it just a fragment melting away,
dripping at the edge of time
before we can grasp it?
_ Melbourne
Australia, 2012
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Ketika Bahagia Mengelupas”.
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When a Letter of Happiness Reaches You
Poem by Leni Marlina
[PPIPM-Indonesia, Poetry-Pen IC, Indonesian Writer of Satu Pena, Indonesian Creator of AI Era, FSM, ACC SHILA]
We wrote happiness in the ink of the wind,
on paper drifting across the chest of the sky.
We sent it far through silent prayers,
but it was lost in the dark corridors of the world.
In a child’s hand, it once landed,
like sunlight glinting on a windowpane.
But the train of time rushed forward,
erasing its traces beneath the roar of wheels.
In an old man’s pocket, it was stored,
but hunger cried louder.
In a mother’s chest, it settled,
but the seasons kept shedding her hopes.
Perhaps the courier of happiness grew weary,
searching for an address that never ends.
Or perhaps happiness was never meant to be owned—
only a flicker that lingers for a moment,
then fades with the wind.
If this poem arrives in your hands,
read it with an open heart.
For happiness is not always ours to keep,
sometimes, it is only meant to be remembered,
before it vanishes,
leaving only an ache behind.
_ Melbourne
Australia, 2012
NOTE:
The original title of the poem above is “Ketika Surat Bahagia Sampai di Tanganmu”.
——————————–
The poem above in Indonesian languange is entitled “Jika Bumi Rengkah”.
This collection of poems (No. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7) was originally written bilingually (English-Indonesian) by Leni Marlina in 2012 as a personal endeavor—an intimate reflection of her literary journey while completing the middle phase of her Master of Writing and Literature (Literary Studies, Creative Writing & Children’s Literature) in Australia. Supported by an Indonesian government scholarship, these poems remained a private archive for years, revisited and refined over time. In 2025, for the first time, they began to emerge into the world, finding their way to readers through digital platforms.
Leni is an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA), particularly its West Sumatra chapter since its inception in 2022. She is also community member of the Indonesian Creator of AI Era and member of the International Writers and Poets Community (ACC) in Shanghai. In 2024, she was honored with the title of Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association. Her engagement in literary circles extends back to her time with Victoria’s Writers Association in Australia. Since 2006, she has devoted herself to academia, teaching in the English Language and Literature Department at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia.
Beyond academia, Leni has founded and led multiple digital communities dedicated to literature, language, education, and social empowerment. Her initiatives serve as bridges between cultures, fostering literary dialogue and creative expression on both national and international scale. Among them are:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC): https://shorturl.at/acFv1
2. Poetry-Pen International Community – A global platform for poets and writers.
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 forum for linguistic discussions and exploration.
6. Literature Talk Community – A space for literary conversations and critique.
7. Translation Practice Community – A hub for translation enthusiasts and professionals.
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C) – Supporting English literacy and creative writing development.
