Poem by Leni Marlina
1)
The sky is fractured,
Like shattered glass above our heads,
Tents collapse beneath a burdened sky,
Winds pierce, borrowing cold from the poles.
We, the children of Palestine,
Wrapped in clouds, resting on prayers.
Once, roofs sheltered our homes,
Now only the heavens stretch above,
The blue is gone---replaced by smothering gray,
Does the sky too weep for us?
2)
Here, in a tent torn by holes,
My hand reaches for my mother's,
But all I catch is the empty air,
Her smile, they say, is in heaven.
And Father? He left with our home,
Both consumed in a single blast.
Now, only prayers remain,
The last gift in my hands,
But Father said, prayers can become all things.
I close my eyes,
And dream:
Prayers weaving thick blankets,
Turning into sweet, warm bread,
Into hugs that linger,
Into a house of light and laughter,
But when I open my eyes,
Only this tattered tent stays.
3)
Winter arrives, a ravenous beast,
Biting and stealing away our warmth,
One bite, then two, three, until nothing remains.
Yet still, we cling to our prayers,
Prayers no tank can crush,
No bullet can break,
Prayers that the snow cannot freeze.
Deep in my chest, a hidden flame,
Small but burning bright,
Every night, I breathe life into it with prayers,
Keeping the fire alive,
Though the wind tries to snuff it out.
4)
Outside, trees shiver,
Like us, but they have roots,
We, with only small feet,
Run from one ruin to the next.
Yet every footstep whispers a prayer,
Guiding us home---
Home to a place untouched by loss.
Our home is not here,
Not beneath this sorrowful sky,
But in the land our father spoke of:
A home untouched by destruction,
Where our mother waits still,
And at last, we will return,
Led by prayers that journey through this frozen winter.
We, the children of Palestine,
Wrapped in clouds, resting on prayers,
And among the ruins and icy winds, we stand tall,
For prayers, though unseen,
Are the mightiest walls ever built.
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2024
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This poem was first written in Indonesian by Leni Marlina as part of her personal poetry collection in 2023. With sincere effort, it was later edited and translated, and it was shared digitally for the first time in 2024. You can find the original Indonesian version through this link:
https://www.kompasiana.com/lenimarlina_fbsunppadang6936/6705fd2334777c6347220b62/berselimut-awan-berbantal-doa?utm_source=Whatsapp&utm_medium=Refferal&utm_campaign=Sharing_Mobile
The poem was created with a heartfelt wish that children and people of all ages may one day recite it---whether at schools, universities, communities, or even through video---and share their experiences with the World Children's Literature Community (WCLC). Warm regards and continued enthusiasm from WCLC (World Children's Literature Community): https://shorturl.at/acFv1
Since 2006, Leni Marlina has had the privilege of serving as a lecturer in the Faculty of Language and Arts at Universitas Negeri Padang. She has also been fortunate to establish and lead a few literary and educational communities, such as the World Children's Literature Community (WCLC), POETRY-PEN International Community, and the Indonesian Poetry Reading and Writing Community (PPIPM: Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat).
Additionally, she has been entrusted with running two English language courses: ECSC (English Children's Literature Smart Course) and MEC (Marvelous English Course), as well as a digital-based social community, Starcom Indonesia (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia). Leni Marlina remains grateful to be a member of the Indonesian Writers Association SATU PENA West Sumatra and to collaborate internationally with the Victoria Writers Association in Australia and the ACC International Writers Community in Hong Kong.
