Shaken Earth in Padang

Shaken Earth in Padang*

By Leni Marlina**

In shadows cast by quaking ground,
Our hearts tremble, fear unbound.
Earth's fury strikes with sudden force,
Shattering our tranquil course.

Padang, West Sumatra, once serene and still,
Now echoes with a rumbling chill.
The earth beneath, once steady and strong,
Now trembles, shakes, and feels so wrong.

In lands where mountains kiss the sky,
And rivers flow, serene and high,
The earth's upheaval brings a stark reminder,
Of nature's power, fierce and wilder.

Homes that stood for ages past,
Now crumble, fall, a spell they cast.
Families torn from hearth and kin,
Their cries for mercy rise within.

Amidst this chaos, faith's tested true,
Believers cling to prayers they knew.
In mosques and homes, a solemn plea,
For mercy, grace, and unity.

Oh, let us not forget the toll,

Of nature's wrath, that takes its role.

But in the rubble, hearts unite,

In love, in hope, in shared plight.

Padang, now a city scarred,
Yet in its people, strength unmarred.
For from the ruins, they shall rise,
With courage found in tear-filled eyes.

Amen, we pray for healing's grace,
For West Sumatra, this sacred place.
May peace and solace gently flow,
To mend what nature's fury laid low.

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*Firstly, it was written in Leni Marlina's private poem collection in 2010 in Padang, West Sumatra
**The member of the  writers association of SatuPena, West Sumatra, Indonesia & Victoria Writers, Australia