Leni Marlina isB[PPIPM Community – Indonesia; Satu Pena West Sumatra, ACC ASHILA]*
/1/
The Unheard Cry
Poem by *Leni Marlina*
[PPIPM Community – Indonesia; Satu Pena West Sumatra, ACC ASHILA]
That cry lies buried deep in the belly of the night,
Like winds unable to stir the leaves.
It sits beside the lifeless body of its mother,
That embrace now only a shadow, devoid of warmth.
In the child’s eyes,
The world is a long, sorrowful wail,
Yet from that wail arises a silent strength.
He recites prayers through the heavens:
“When all doors are shut,
I shall carve a path,
Even from the rubble, I will rise.
For life is a battle
That never surrenders to death.”
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2022
/2/
The Voice of a Child Amid the Ruins
Poem by *Leni Marlina*
[PPIPM Community – Indonesia; Satu Pena West Sumatra, ACC ASHILA]
On earth that no longer breathes,
The remnants of laughter lie buried with the ashes of a home.
His eyes are a shattered mirror of time,
Staring at his father, fallen without words.
Small hands grasp the dust of memories,
Amidst the cries that summon the silence.
But behold—
This child stands, though the world sinks,
Weaving hope from the shards of wounds.
He speaks:
“Even when the sky shuts itself,
I will walk, defying the quiet
And carve my own destiny.”
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2022
/3/
The Sky That Never Closes
Poem by *Leni Marlina*
[PPIPM Community – Indonesia; Satu Pena West Sumatra, ACC ASHILA]
The gray sky gazes upon the child,
As if apologizing for the destruction it has wrought.
He stands amidst the ruins of the past,
Where laughter has been shattered by the roar of weapons.
Yet his eyes hold the flicker of stars,
He asks the universe:
“Will the sun rise tomorrow?”
And the answer comes in small steps,
Crossing the minefields of suffering.
This child will rebuild his world,
With tiny hands that reject the fate of sorrow.
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2022
/4/
The Heart’s Unceasing Cry
Poem by *Leni Marlina*
[PPIPM Community – Indonesia; Satu Pena West Sumatra, ACC ASHILA]
Dust clouds the shadows of days gone by,
But the cry of the child remains alive,
Crashing against the silence that deafens.
He lost his father in a moment that never returned,
His mother now only a memory,
Wrapped in the scent of gunpowder.
Yet his small heart speaks:
“From the ruins, I will weave dreams.
Though the world tears at my smile,
I will weave hope with my own hands,
For a heart full of wounds is where
Strength is born.”
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2022
/5/
The Love That Never Fades
Poem by *Leni Marlina*
[PPIPM Community – Indonesia; Satu Pena West Sumatra, ACC ASHILA]
From the blood-soaked earth,
These children plant love
In fields scorched by hatred.
They fill their days upon the ashes of memories,
With small steps that break the silence.
In their eyes, love is the spark of life’s fire and inspiration,
Overcoming the darkness that imprisons the world.
They rebuild the ruins
With dreams that cannot be shattered.
For love is the sharpest weapon,
That conquers war
And rebuilds life.
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2022
———–
Short Biography
This collection of poems, initially crafted by Leni Marlina in 2022 as a personal hobby and archive of her soul’s whispers, has since undergone revision and found its way into the world, shared digitally for the first time in January 2025.
Leni, a committed member of the Indonesian Writers’ Association (SATU PENA) for the Sumatra Barat chapter since its inception in 2022, is also an active participant in the Creative Writers of Indonesia Era AI Community. Her literary contributions have extended to the international stage as a member of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association, where she proudly serves as the Indonesian Poetry Ambassador. She was previously involved in the Victoria Writer’s Association in Australia.
Since 2006, Leni has devoted herself to academia as a lecturer at the English Language and Literature Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang.
As the founder and head of various digital communities centered on social, language, literature, and literacy, Leni has established:
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 Languange Learning, Literacy, Literary Community (EL4C)
