An Essay Poem By: Leni Marlina**
In the last mosque, the twilight light creeps,
Grandmother, you sit, calm, caressing the Qur'an.
Your rough fingers move slowly,
Touching the worn pages,
As if touching the face of a distant grandchild.
I miss the fragrance of your gentle smile,
That colors the memories of my childhood,
In a small rocky village,
By the river that flows with dreams.
In the peaceful corner of the mosque,
I sit close to you,
You are my pillar of strength,
In your embrace I find warmth,
Like the morning sun before the storm of greed strikes Gaza.
My parents and siblings have gone,
Becoming martyrs, stars in the night sky,
Now it's only you, Grandma, who accompanies me,
To me, you are a candle that burns in the darkness.
You stretch out your frail, wrinkled hand,
Praying for those who have lost everything,
In a land that once thrived in peace,
Now parched because its rights were forcibly seized.
With trembling hands,
You take out a small wallet from your robe,
That wallet, thin and worn,
But full of undying hope and love.
Every coin you draw out,
Is a grain of compassion,
You gently place them into the charity box,
Like sowing seeds of goodness in a barren field.
"Dear, charity is light," you whisper softly,
"Though we don't have much,
Allah will bless us,
With multiplied goodness."
The wrinkles on your face,
Tell tales of struggle and steadfastness,
Every line is a trace of love,
That continues to shine even though our world is dark.
In the dusty, narrow streets,
The voices of children running,
Seeking a glimmer of hope,
Under a sky filled with threats.
"Here," whispers Grandma, "We share this little,
So they can find hope,
Among the neglected ruins."
Grandmother, you taught me,
That kindness doesn't wait for wealth,
In a sincere heart,
Every penny means a lot,
Like pearls at the ocean's depth.
In the dark of night,
I see that mosque illuminated,
By the love and prayers of you and us together,
Like stars fighting the darkness.
Gaza, a land full of wounds,
Blocked and oppressed,
Yet in every corner,
There is an inexhaustible strength.
Amidst the debris and ruins,
We stand firm,
Like sturdy olive trees,
Facing the unending storm of terror.
I want to be like you, Grandma,
With a big heart even when having little,
Always sharing and spreading goodness,
Even in hardship,
For in every charity, there is infinite blessing.
When this mosque no longer stands,
Shattered along with the homes of the people,
By those without conscience,
When you have exhausted your twilight years,
The memory of your charity and love,
Will continue to shine in my heart,
Like a small flame that never goes out,
Like our love for the land of Palestine,
Our homeland,
And also the land of the prophets,
Which we will defend to the death.
Padang, July 2024
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*This poem was originally published in Leni Marlina's poetry collection in July 2022, and revised in July 2023, before being published later through digital media.
**Since 2006, the author has been dedicated as a lecturer at the Faculty of Language and Arts, Padang State University. She is also the founder and head of the World Children's Literature Community (WCLC) since 2018. Additionally, she has been active as a member of the Satu Pena Sumatera Barat Writers Association since 2022, and involved with the Victoria Writers Association - Australia since 2012.
