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When Books Become the Body of Memory

Poem by Leni Marlina

–

April 23 is not merely a date,
it is a pulse,
lodged deep within the ribs of time,
a quiet, persistent rhythm
that does not fade,
but settles
breathing slowly beneath the surface of human memory.

Today, the world does not simply celebrate books.
It leans closer, almost reverently
as if placing its ear
against the chest of language itself,
listening for that faint, enduring heartbeat
carried across centuries
through words.

This day opens
like an ancient wooden door,
its hinges creaking with memory,
releasing the scent of ink, dust, and thought
reminding us that language
is not invention,
but inheritance:
a home built long before we arrived,
and waiting long after we are gone.

The footsteps of voices once alive
still cross the air we breathe
soft, almost invisible,
like ash drifting through light.
Among them move presences
whose bodies have long returned to silence,
yet whose words continue to pulse
quietly beneath the skin of our thinking.

In this year, this light of remembrance gathers
not in monuments,
nor in cities alone,
but wherever pages turn
like wind touching the walls of time,
where stories rise
like warmth from sunlit stone
and settle again
into the hands of those
willing to listen.

For the truest geography of books
is not found on any map,
but in the small, intimate space
between your hands
where a book rests
like a living body
waiting to be awakened.

You hold it,
feeling the dry, fragile texture of paper
beneath your fingertips
like leaves remembering rain.
And when you open it,
a quiet scent rises
ink mingled with dust and time
like earth breathing
after a long and patient silence.

Your eyes begin to move,
and suddenly
silence fractures into sound:
footsteps crossing gravel,
distant waves breaking
in unseen oceans,
whispers folding into one another
like shadows at dusk.

Until you realize
what you hear
is not the world outside,
but a world
entering you.

You taste the words as they arrive:
metallic with sorrow,
warm as bread with hope,
sharp as truth
resting on the tongue
each syllable dissolving slowly
into something deeper
than meaning.

And then it happens almost imperceptibly:
a shift within your chest,
a tremor so small
it could be mistaken for breath,
yet unmistakable as if the book
has found your pulse
and chosen to remain there,
beating quietly alongside it.

You are no longer reading.
You are entering
crossing the threshold
between self and story,
where a sentence becomes a hand
resting gently on your shoulder,
a paragraph opens like a window
where there was once only wall,
and a single word becomes a mirror
so clear
it startles you
with the sudden recognition
of your own reflection.

In a world that rushes endlessly forward,
books ask for something rare
and fragile:
the courage to remain,
to listen,
to feel,
to become more than a witness
to your own life.

So today, open one.
And notice, not the act itself,
but what follows:
how the air alters its weight,
how the room deepens
as if it has grown
a second horizon,
how silence begins
to learn
the shape of your name.

For every book
is not merely a mirror
but a doorway.

And somewhere beyond that threshold,
in the quiet architecture
of words and memory,
something
someoneq
has been waiting
all along.

–

Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, April 23th, 2026
Happy World Book Day 2026

——

Indonesian Version

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Ketika Buku Menjadi Tubuh Kenangan

Puisi: Leni Marlina

–

23 April bukan sekadar tanggal,
ia adalah denyut bersemayam di rusuk waktu,
ritme sunyi tak pernah padam,
hanya berdiam,
bernapas perlahan
di bawah permukaan ingatan manusia.

Hari ini, dunia tak sekadar merayakan buku,
ia merunduk, hampir khusyuk,
seakan menempelkan telinga
pada dada bahasa itu sendiri,
mendengarkan detak halus yang abadi, menyeberangi abad demi abad melalui kata-kata.

Hari ini terbuka
seperti pintu kayu tua,
engselnya berderit oleh kenangan,
melepas aroma tinta, debu, dan pikiran,
mengingatkan kita bahwa bahasa
bukanlah ciptaan,
melainkan warisan:
rumah yang dibangun jauh sebelum kita datang,
dan tetap menunggu
setelah kita pergi.

Langkah-langkah suara yang pernah hidup
masih melintas di udara yang kita hirup
lembut, nyaris tak terlihat,
seperti abu hanyut dalam cahaya.
Di antaranya bergerak mereka
yang raganya telah kembali sunyi,
namun kata-katanya terus berdenyut
di bawah kulit pikiran kita.

Tahun ini, cahaya ingatan ini berkumpul,
bukan hanya di kota-kota,
bukan pula pada monumen semata,
melainkan di setiap halaman
yang berbalik seperti angin
menyentuh dinding waktu,
di mana kisah-kisah bangkit
sehangat batu yang disinari matahari,
lalu kembali bersemayam
di tangan mereka
yang bersedia mendengar.

Sebab peta sejati buku
tak tergambar di mana pun
ia hidup dalam ruang kecil
di antara kedua tanganmu,
tempat sebuah buku berbaring
seperti tubuh hidup,
menunggu untuk dibangunkan.

Engkau menggenggamnya,
merasakan rapuh kertas di ujung jari
seperti daun mengingat hujan.
Dan saat kau membukanya,
aroma sunyi pun bangkit
tinta, debu, dan waktu berpadu,
bagai tanah yang bernapas
setelah kesabaran panjang.

Matamu mulai bergerak
dan seketika,
hening pecah menjadi bunyi:
langkah di atas kerikil,
ombak jauh tak terlihat,
bisik-bisik saling berlipat
seperti bayang dikala senja.

Hingga kau sadar:
yang kau dengar
bukan dunia luar,
melainkan dunia
yang sedang memasuki dirimu.

Kau mengecap kata demi kata:
pahit seperti duka,
hangat seperti roti penuh harap,
tajam seperti kebenaran singgah di lidah,
suku kata larut perlahan
menjadi sesuatu lebih dalam dari sekadar makna.

Dan kemudian terjadi.
Hampir tak terasa:
sebuah getar di dada,
sekecil napas,
namun tak terbantahkan,
seakan buku itu
menemukan nadimu,
dan memilih tinggal di sana,
berdenyut pelan
bersamamu.

Kau tak lagi membaca,
kau sedang memasuki.
Melintasi batas
antara diri dan cerita,
di mana kalimat menjadi tangan singgah lembut di bahumu,
paragraf membuka jendela
di tempat yang dulu tembok,
dan satu kata menjadi cermin begitu jernih,
hingga kau terkejut
menemukan dirimu sendiri.

Di dunia yang berlari tanpa henti,
buku meminta sesuatu yang langka
dan rapuh:
keberanian untuk tinggal,
untuk mendengar,
untuk merasakan,
untuk menjadi lebih
dari sekadar saksi
atas hidupmu sendiri.

Maka hari ini bukalah satu.
Dan perhatikan, bukan sekadar tindakannya,
melainkan apa yang mengikutinya:
bagaimana udara berubah beratnya,
bagaimana ruang menjadi lebih dalam
seakan memiliki cakrawala kedua,
bagaimana sunyi mulai belajar
menyebut namamu.

Sebab buku -buku
bukan hanya cermin
melainkan pintu.

Dan di balik ambang itu,
dalam arsitektur sunyi
antara kata dan kenangan,
sesuatu
seseorang
telah menunggumu
sejak lama.

–

Padang, 23 April, 2026

—

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THE PAGES OF A BOOK
(World Book Day)

Poem by Anto Narasoma

Translated (Indonesian languange – English) by Leni Marlina

–

I read the architecture of your mind
from behind the quiet lids of your eyes.

For the face of technology
moving from sentence to sentence
in the notes you inscribe
takes flight,
wandering across tangled thoughts
hidden beneath the shell of your skull.

Like an aircraft ascending,
from millions of books
it journeys into the air of consciousness
becoming a teacher
even before it learns to teach itself.

Try, if you will, to unravel it:
when words begin to weave technology
along the endless corridors of literacy.

For days without writing
are books you clutch
behind the veils of your dreams.

As long as breath remains,
what you read and memorize
what you plant within your mind
becomes the measure of your worth.

Tell me
to whom will you unfold
the knowledge inscribed
on the pages that awaken
within your own mind?

–

Palembang, Indonesia, April 21st, 2026

About the Writer (Anto Narasoma)

Anto Narasoma, a respected national poet and senior journalist, stands as a guiding light in Indonesia’s literary scene. Known for his modesty and deep dedication, he has shaped generations of writers through mentorship and community leadership.

A senior mentor at “Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Masyarakat” : Poetry Community of Indonesian Society’s Inspirations (PPIPM-Indonesia), Anto is also an active member of the Indonesian Writers’ Community (Satu Pena), Creators of the AI Era, and Poetry-Pen International. His voice has become a bridge between tradition and innovation in poetry.

In 2022, his lifelong contribution was recognized with a Literary Award from the Spanish International Literary Association, honoring both his poetic depth and quiet influence on global literary exchange.

Anto’s legacy is not only etched in his verses but also lives on in the many writers he continues to inspire with words that resonate far beyond the page.

——–
Indonesian Version

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LEMBARAN BUKU
(Hari Buku Dunia)

Puisi: Anto Narasoma

–

kubaca akal pikiran
dari balik kelopak matamu

sebab wajah teknologi
dari kalimat ke kalimat
yang kau catat itu
terbang menjelajahi
pikiran-pikiran kusut
di balik batok kepalamu

pesawat terbang
yang mengangkasa
dari jutaan buku ketika terbang ke ruang pikiran,
menjadi pendidik sebelum mendidik dirinya

coba kau urai
ketika kata-kata merangkai teknologi
di sepanjang perbendaharaan literasi

sebab,
hari-hari tanpa catatan adalah buku yang kau peluk hingga ke balik tirai mimpimu

semasih ada napas,
bacaan dan hafalan yang kau tanam ke dalam pikiran adalah harga dirimu

kepada siapa kau uraikan segala ilmu dari catatan pada lembaran buku yang terbit di kepalamu?

–

Palembang, 21 April 2026

————————-

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WORDS: THE ENDLESS VOLUMES OF BEING

Poem by Ramli Djafar
(Xie Zongli)

Translated (Indonesian-English) by Leni Marlina

–

What I inscribe is not merely a tale,
nor the fleeting murmur of news
it is something lived,
a pulse of truth
standing firm in the shadowed margins of existence,
breathing with a restless urgency,
pursuing the vanishing silhouettes of tomorrow.

I am an assembly of words
a weaving of all that can be felt,
where emotions dissolve into one another,
inseparable, indivisible;
where origin and ending
fold into a single wholeness.
I reach into the forsaken corners of memory,
gathering fragments of epics and elegies,
until they ascend,
crowned by the quiet radiance of the sacred
at the summit of the soul.

I am letters burdened with meaning,
unyielding, irreplaceable
upright as a vow,
rising beyond the sky’s far edge,
yet anchored in the profound hush
of the ocean’s deepest floor.

I am words—
the throne upon which the world is imagined,
the crown that rests upon the earth,
the diadem worn by the universe.

Without me,
meaning would remain unborn,
and no book
would gather its scattered breaths
into a body of pages.

–

Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia
April 21st, 2026

—

About the Poet

Andreas Ramli Djafar (Xie Zongli) is a contemporary Indonesian poet who believes that words can cross borders and bring people closer together. His poetry carries the rhythm of Indonesia while opening space for dialogue with the wider world, reminding us of our shared humanity.

The poet is active in literacy and literary communities that encourage collaboration and cultural exchange, including writer’s organization of SatuPena (West Sumatra Chapter), ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC), Poetry Community for Indonesian Society’s Inspiration. (PPIPM–Indonesia), and other literacy and literary communities.

In 2025, at the International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF–3) hosted by the writers organization of SatuPena – West Sumatra, their efforts were gently acknowledged—Andreas Ramli Djafar as The Prolific Writer 2025 —recognition that he sees not as personal achievement, but as encouragement to keep contributing to literature and community.

His works, written in Indonesian, English, and Chinese, appear in collections and anthologies and also on single-author poetry books that seek to share stories of memory, struggle, hope, peace and humanity.

——-

Indonesian Version

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KATA-KATA, JILID BUKU TANPA BATAS

Puisi:
Ramli Djafar (Xie Zongli)

—

Apa yang kutulis bukanlah cerita
Bukan pula sekedar berita
Tetapi
Nyata di hidup ini
Berdiri kokoh di sudut-sudut gelap
Berpacu deras diderunya nafas
Mengejar bayangan masa depan

Aku adalah kumpulan kata-kata
Menjalin rasa segala rasa
Bercampur tiada terpisah
Keutuhan awal dan akhir
Menjangkau sudut-sudut yang terlupakan
Menata epos dan elegi
Berpuncak religi mahkota di jiwa

Aku adalah aksara bermakna
Berdiri kokoh tak terganti
Tegak lurus menjulang ke langit
Jauh di kedalaman samudera

Aku adalah kata-kata
Tahta dunia
Mahkota bumi
Tiara alam semesta

Tanpa diriku
Tiada aksara bermakna
Tak pernah ada jilid-jilid buku

–

Padang, 23 April 2026

—-

Tentang Penyair

Andreas Ramli Djafar (Xie Zongli) adalah seorang penyair Indonesia kontemporer yang meyakini bahwa kata-kata mampu melintasi batas-batas geografis dan kultural, serta mendekatkan manusia satu sama lain. Puisi-puisinya mengalir dengan denyut khas Indonesia, sekaligus membuka ruang dialog dengan dunia yang lebih luas—sebuah pengingat lembut akan kemanusiaan yang kita miliki bersama.

Sang penyair aktif dalam berbagai komunitas literasi dan sastra yang mendorong kolaborasi serta pertukaran budaya, di antaranya organisasi penulis SatuPena (Sumatera Barat), ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC), Poetry Community for Indonesian Society’s Inspiration (PPIPM–Indonesia), serta sejumlah komunitas literasi dan kesusastraan lainnya.

Pada tahun 2025, dalam ajang International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF–3) yang diselenggarakan oleh organisasi penulis SatuPena Sumatera Barat, dedikasi tersebut memperoleh apresiasi yang penuh makna—Andreas Ramli Djafar dianugerahi sebagai The Prolific Writer 2025. Sebuah pengakuan yang ia maknai bukan semata sebagai pencapaian personal, melainkan sebagai dorongan untuk terus berkarya dan berkontribusi bagi dunia sastra dan masyarakat.

Karya-karyanya, yang ditulis dalam bahasa Indonesia, Inggris, dan Mandarin, hadir dalam berbagai buku kumpulan dan antologi, serta buku puisi tunggal yang mengusung narasi tentang ingatan, perjuangan, harapan, kedamaian, dan kemanusiaan.