/1/
Longing That Leaves Footprints on Homeland
by Leni Marlina
This city is a labyrinth that swallows my steps,
yet my memory wanders back to the village,
where my footprints remain on moist land.
Here, I walk on the cold asphalt,
feeling my longing grow thick and deep,
like hidden roots
straining to reach distant land.
The village is living land,
nurturing each step I imagine,
calling me through the whispers of the wind, the rush of the river.
Though distance and city lights block my way,
this longing keeps growing roots
in every inch of path left behind.
Melbourne, Australia, 2011
/2/
Shadows of Longing in the City
by Leni Marlina
Here, longing is a shadow,
hovering between towering buildings,
following me with every step.
I walk, but my thoughts drift
to the winds and birdsong of my village,
sounds that always carry me home.
There, my mother's voice falls like rain,
gentle on my ears, tender on my heart,
making me wish to return,
like roots seeking damp land.
But this city clings to my longing,
as if afraid to release me
back into the warm embrace of home.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
/3/
The Village Beneath the Wide Sky
by Leni Marlina
My village is a wide, open sky,
spanning the shade of every tree,
every dusty path that holds forgotten tales.
In the city, the sky is veiled with mist,
holding my longing captive in tight spaces.
There, my steps are never lost;
each corner reminds me of childhood,
where stories and laughter rise, twirling in the air.
But here, my longing for the village becomes a cloud,
floating formless,
searching for its way home.
Canberra, Australia, 2012
/4/
Sowing Longing in Faraway Land
by Leni Marlina
I plant longing in my heart,
like seeds in foreign land,
waiting to bloom when the season is right.
In my village, longing is like a tree's roots,
digging deep, nourishing memories
with each drop of rain.
This city is unfamiliar land,
unable to absorb my deep-rooted longing.
But within me, I tend the love for my homeland,
letting it grow like a mighty tree
that one day will shelter every step I take.
Canberra, Australia, 2013
/5/
Embraces Held Only in Memory
by Leni Marlina
In my village, embraces are real,
warm hands reaching to greet and hold me close.
Here, in the city, embraces are shadows,
fading in memories that begin to blur.
I long for the ground I once stood upon,
where love and warmth grow naturally,
where this yearning could always return.
Here, my longing feels like morning dew,
too tender,
lasting only a moment,
before it slips away under the harsh light.
Melbourne, Australia, 2013
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Short Biography:
This collection of poems was initially written in both Indonesian and English by Leni Marlina as her personal hobby and collection from 2011 to 2013. She wrote these poems while she was studying for her postgraduate degree in Melbourne and during her participation as a speaker at the International Conference on ACLAR (Australian Children's Literature Association for Research) in Canberra, Australia.
The poems were later revised and first published digitally in 2024. The Indonesian version of the poem can be freely accessed on Indonesian online media below:
https://forumsumbar.com/sastra/46577/kumpulan-puisi-leni-marlina-rindu-yang-menjejak-di-tanah-kampung/
Leni Marlina is an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association, SATU PENA in the West Sumatra branch. She is also an active member of the International Community of Poets & Writers ACC in Shanghai and serves as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association. Additionally, she is involved in the Victoria Writers Association in Australia. Since 2006, she has been a lecturer in the English Language and Literature Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, at Universitas Negeri Padang, Indonesia.
Leni is also the founder and leader of several digital communities focused on literature, education, and social issues, including:
1. World Children's Literature Community (WCLC): https://rb.gy/5c1b02
2. International Poetry-Pen Community
3. Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat (PPIPM): https://tinyurl.com/zxpadkr
4. Starcom Indonesia (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia): https://rb.gy/5c1b02
