Behind the Ruins of the Self_Poem (Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri) I

 *Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri*

ENGLISH POEM 

Behind the Ruins of the Self

Poem by Leni Marlina

[Poetry Community of Indonesian Society Inspiration; Poetry-Pen International Community; Indonesian Writers Satu Pena West Sumatra, Indonesian Creator of AI Era; Literature & Linguistic Talk Community; ACC Shanghai Huingfei International Literary Association, Translation Practice Community; English Language Learning, Literature and Literacy Community, English Department Universitas Negeri Padang] 

                                                Image Source: *Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri*

Friend, do you hear the stone’s voice?
It whispers from the depths of destruction,
Telling tales that never reach completion,
Of us, erasing our own being
In the cracks along the broken path.

You walk, but with no destination.
Your steps are not a journey,
But a silent dance that wears the earth thin.
I ask:
What do you entrust to the wind,
Other than a name you forget again and again?

Once, we were sturdy pillars,
Supporting a sky too heavy to endure.
But time is a hammer, relentless and unkind,
Smashing us against the jagged remnants of history.
Now, you stand amidst the ruins,
Clutching shards as though they were your future.

Your hands are dust-laden,
Not from defeat,
But from digging.
What do you seek, my friend?
A light from the hole you’ve carved?
Or the shadow of yourself,
Left behind in a time too distant to touch?

Behind this wreckage,
I see another version of you,
A sculptor of silence.
The stones bear witness
To prayers you’ve silenced,
To promises buried deep within the earth.

You need no recognition,
You seek no understanding.
You long only to be an echo,
Resonating through empty spaces,
A crack in the flawless walls.

Friend, behind these ruins,
You are no mere human—
You are a poem,
Written without ink,
Only with wounds,
Only with the courage
To remain unfinished.

Bali, Indonesia, 2013

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Short Note:

The original Indonesian title of the poem above is 'Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri".

This collection of poems was originally written by Leni Marlina as a hobby and a personal poetry collection in 2013, after the author completed her Master’s in Writing and Literature in Australia, on an Indonesian Government scholarship. She stayed in Bali while attending the International Conference on Children’s Literature. The poem was later revised and published gradually for the first time in December 2024 (Behind the Ruins of the Self). It was subsequently translated by the author herself and published online in January 2025.

Leni Marlina is currently an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association, SATU PENA branch of West Sumatra, since its establishment in 2022; the Indonesian Creators Community in the Era of AI. Additionally, she is an active member of the International Poetry and Literature Writers Community (ACC) in Shanghai and serves as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador for the Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association. Leni has also been involved with the Victoria Writers Association in Australia. Since 2006, she has been dedicated to teaching English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang.

Leni Marlina has founded and leads several small social, language, literature, and literacy communities with digital platforms including:

1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC): https://shorturl.at/acFv1
2. Poetry-Pen International Community
3. PPIPM (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat), the Poetry Community of Indonesian Society's Inspirations: https://shorturl.at/2eTSB; https://shorturl.at/tHjRI
4. Starcom Indonesia Community (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia): https://rb.gy/5c1b02
5. Linguistic Talk Community
6. Literature Talk Community
7. Translation Practice Community
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, Literary Community (EL4C)

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INDONESIAN POEM 

*Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri*

Desember 29, 2024

                                                                      *Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri*

Puisi: Leni Marlina

[Komunitas Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Pemikiran Masyarakat: PPIPM-Indonesia; Satu Pena Sumbar]

Kawan, apakah kau mendengar suara batu?

Ia berbisik dari dasar reruntuhan,

tentang cerita yang tak pernah rampung,

tentang kita yang menghapus diri

di setiap garis retak jalan.

Kau berjalan, tapi tidak menuju apa-apa.

Langkahmu bukan perjalanan,

hanya tarian sepi yang mengikis tanah.

Aku bertanya:

Apa yang kau titipkan pada angin,

selain nama yang terus kau lupakan?

Kita pernah menjadi tiang-tiang kokoh,

menopang langit yang terlalu berat.

Namun waktu adalah palu yang tanpa belas kasih,

membenturkan kita pada serpihan sejarah.

Kini kau berdiri di antara puing-puing,

menggenggam serpihannya

seolah ia adalah masa depan.

Tanganmu penuh debu,

bukan karena kalah,

tapi karena menggali.

Mencari apa, kawan?

Sebuah cahaya di lubang yang kau gali sendiri?

Atau bayanganmu yang tertinggal

di masa yang terlalu jauh untuk disentuh?

Di balik reruntuhan ini,

aku melihat dirimu lain,

seorang pengukir keheningan.

Batu-batu itu adalah saksi

dari doa-doa yang kau bungkam,

dari janji yang kau kubur dalam-dalam.

Kau tak butuh pengakuan,

kau tak ingin dimengerti.

Kau hanya ingin menjadi gema

yang mengguncang ruang kosong,

menjadi retakan kecil

di dinding-dinding sempurna.

Kawan, di balik reruntuhan ini,

kau bukan hanya manusia—

kau adalah puisi,

yang ditulis tanpa tinta,

hanya dengan luka,

hanya dengan keberanian

untuk tidak selesai.

Bali, 2013

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Catatan Singkat:

Kumpulan puisi ini awalnya ditulis oleh Leni Marlina hanya sebagai hobi dan koleksi puisi pribadi tahun 2013, sepulang penulis menjalani program master of Writing and Literature di Australia, dengan beasiswa pemerintah Indonesia, dan singgah di Bali, mengikuti International Conference on Children's Literature. Puisi tersebut direvisi kembali serta mulai dipublikasikan secara bertahap untuk pertama kalinya melalui media digital bulan Desember 20245 (*Di Balik Reruntuhan Diri*). Selanjutnya puisi ini diterjemahkan oleh penulis sendiri dan diterbitkan online pada bulan Januari 2025.

Leni sampai saat ini merupakan anggota aktif Asosiasi Penulis Indonesia, SATU PENA cabang Sumatera Barat sejak berdiri tahun 2022; Komunitas Kreator Indonesia Era AI. Selain itu, ia juga merupakan anggota aktif Komunitas Penyair dan Penulis Sastra Internasional ACC di Shanghai, serta dipercaya sebagai Duta Puisi Indonesia untuk ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association. Leni pernah terlibat dalam Victoria's Writer Association di Australia. Sejak tahun 2006, ia telah mengabdikan diri sebagai dosen di Program Studi Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, Universitas Negeri Padang.

Leni Marlina telah mendirikan sekaligus mengetuai sejumlah kecil komunitas  sosial, bahasa, sastra, literasi dengan platform digital meliputi: 

1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC): https://shorturl.at/acFv1

2. Poetry-Pen International Community

3. PPIPM (Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat), the Poetry Community of Indonesian Society's Inspirations: https://shorturl.at/2eTSB; https://shorturl.at/tHjRI

4. Starcom Indonesia Community (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia): 

        https://rb.gy/5c1b02

5. Linguistic Talk Community (https://linguistictalkcommunity.blogspot.com)

6. Literature Talk Community

7. Translation Practice Community

8. English Languange Learning, Literacy, Literary Community (EL4C)