The Rain of Honor

Ilustration of Leni Marlina's Poem "The Rain of Honor". Picture Source: Starcom Indonesia's Painting  Collection No. 82 by AI

Rain of Honor
A Poem by Leni Marlina

/1/
An honor rains down---
unexpected droplets of grace,
each one a word,
soaking my spirit,
infusing ink into the air.

ACC whispers,
and I rise,
a grateful bird in flight,
not merely to speak,
but to scream and sing,
a chorus crossing the horizon,
where the sea kisses the sky.

/2/
Fragments gather,
syllables swirl,
I become a translator of whispers,
each line a heartbeat,
each verse a pulse,
stretching the distance,
a bridge woven from gratitude.

Roots of thankfulness
twine through my veins,
wild vines climbing higher,
ready to dance, to spin,
to let poetry break the silence---
a riot of color on gray canvas.

Lines dissolve like smoke,
maps scatter,
as I promise---
to stir, to be stirred,
to echo every thank you,
until every verse finds its home,
a sanctuary for words unspoken.

Padang, West Sumatra Province, Indonesia,  2024

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The writer is the active member of Indonesian Writers Association of SATU  PENA located in Padang, West Sumatra Province - Indonesia;  the active member of ACC  International Poets &  Literary Writers Community, Shanghai; the ACC Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for  ACC Shanghai  Huifeng International Literary Association. Leni is also involved in Victoria's Writer Association, Australia. Furthermore, Leni  has been working as a lecturer at the English Language and Literature Study Program, Faculty of Languanges and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang since 2006.

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Attachment Note:

Dear Ms. Anna Keko, President of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association,

I am deeply honored and humbled by the appointment as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the ACC. Thank you for this remarkable opportunity to advance the beauty of international poetry, cultural exchange, and translation in Indonesia. It is a privilege to represent such a meaningful cause, and I am eager to contribute to the unfolding dialogue between our literary and cultural communities.

With heartfelt gratitude, I look forward to our collaboration in nurturing a deeper appreciation for poetry and enriching our shared cultural understanding.

Warmest regards,
Leni Marlina

"The Rain