By Ananda Nayla Tabrani Yunis
The student of Class X-2 SMA Negeri 3 Banda Aceh
I never write or compose poems. I am not a poet, who is always closed and enjoy writing or composing poems. So, I can say that I am still blind with poems. I also seldom practice reading and contemplating poems, but I used to read poem or to be one of the poetry reading and even performed it. It was when my Dad, Tabrani Yunis released or launched his second book “ Membumikan Literasi” last year, at the Aceh library in Banda Aceh. It was amazing and interesting. I could do my best. I remember that, Satupena Aceh was the event organizer of the book launching.
My Dad is one of the members of Satupena Aceh with the leadership of D. Keumalawati.
So, it has been almost one and a half years since I did the performance. Last August, 9, 2024 I got a great challenge. My Dad gave me a big challenge. He asked me to join the group of young people who were invited to compose poems. It was not the poems as I ever read. I even have never heard it before.
But, I was invited to write Essay poems. Ms. Dek Nong ( D. Keumalawati) would guided me in creating the essay poems, said my Dad. I was very happy, but I was not sure I could compose the poems.
My Dad encouraged me to grab this opportunity or challenge. He told me that it was a great opportunity for me. I was really confused with this opportunity. Just imagine that I never had any experience composing poems, but my Dad forced me to compose poems. I was still confused and afraid.
What happened then?
There were so many questions flying in my head. I raised some questions. What should I write? I still did not have ideas yet.
I must be brave. So, I accepted and grabbed the challenge. I was also motivated by an interesting gifts if I could make it happened.
Hmm, just imagine, if I could compose the poems, and the poems were interesting and nice to read or a purfect poems, I would have so amazing chance for me. My Dad said that if my poems selected to be published in an anthology of essay poems, I would be invited to Jakarta. Not only that, soon after I finished writing them and submitted, just then the money would be ghee in the bank account.
But, then what happened? Yap, I was actually stress, because I had no clue of making a poem, but I told my Dad, I could do it and he said again, just try it. I must be sure and optimistic. So, I must try, event I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START !!!!.
To make me found the clue, my Dad gave me a example of a poem and I tried to copy it, but it was so hard to understand. So then my Dad told me that there would be someone who would teach or guide me how to make a poem. So again I said alright, I will try learning with her. I need to meet Ms. D. Keumalawati whose nickname is Dek Nong.
So I made the first meeting. It was at her house. On the first day she told us to find a topic and read other poems from other poets . So, I read 3 poems and you know what? IT WAS NOT A SHORT POEM, BUT ITS AN ESSAY POEM!!. I was shock, as for my life because, HELOO, I NEVER WRITE ANYTHING LIKE THIS?. So when I went home I told my Mom and Dad that I couldn’t do or compose the poems. It’s too hard, but my Mom and Dad said it was okay.
When can I get this oportunity again, and the one who invited me to write this poem really believed and wanted me to do it. So I kept trying my best to make the poem and still couldn’t do anything. Then she gave me time to finish it. I still came to her house to meet her. At her house she taught me different thing every day. When I was there,I understood it, but when came home, all of them went blank. So for a few days I didn’t come to her house and told my Mom that I really couldn’t do. It’s too hard for me. Even though I was already taught by her, I still couldn’t do it. Because few days I kept telling my Mom and Dad that could do it.
My Mom thought that if I really couldn’t do it. It’s okay, but I felt bad that if i didn’t do it, I would disappoint my parents and my teacher. But I told myself not stop until 8 days before sending the poem to her. I kept trying little by little. I tried to copy other people’s poem and made it different until 3 days I could finish one of the poems. Then on the second one I was stress, because I didn’t finish the second poem yet and I was out of ideas.
So I decided to come to Ms. Dek Nong or De Keumalawati to find a help. I got it. She helped me to find another theme and I tried making it until day -1. Then I came again to her house because I still didnt finish it and I told her that I didn’t know anymore what to write and she gave me ideas. I just tried and tried while searching in google some of the poetry words, because the normal word and poetry word are different. In the mid of night she told me that they delayed the day of submitting the poems. So, I was so happy that I still had some time to chage and corect the poetry.
In the next morning Ms. De Keumalawati called me and I sent her my poems. She was so happy that I could finish it, and I told my Dad and Mom that I had finished it, and they were proud of me. I was also not expecting that I could make it until the end. I wass so glad that I did it.
It was amazing. A few days after that I checked the group and they said that, they had already sent the money to the bank account as the appreciation of doing the poems. Of course I was so happy that i really got the money, because I thought that they would give the money to the winners only, but actually all of the people got it. My first essay poems, bring me good luck. I am lucky and really lucky.
