JEMBATAN POETRY SOCIETY : Australian Poetry

Rama - Sita Dialogue

"Cintaku padamu, Adinda," kata Rama, "adalah laut yang pernah bertahun memisahkan kita, adalah langit yang senantiasa memayungi kita, adalah kawanan kera yang di gua Kiskenda. Tetapi....., " Sita yang hamil itu tetap diam sejak semula, "kau telah tinggal dalam sangkar raja angkara itu bertahun lamanya, kau telah tidur di ranjangnya, kau bukan lagi rahasia baginya."

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"My love for you," said Rama, "is as broad as the sea which has divided us for years, as high as the sky which sheltered us, as plentiful as the monkeys in Kiskanda Cave. But...." Pregnant, Sita listened in silence, "....you have lived in that cruel king's palace year after, you have slept in his bed, he knows all your secrets."

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( by Sapardi Djoko Damono, translated by Harry Aveling).

LOVE THE PLANET

Let's loves.
Save the planet, love ourself
Save the planet, save ourself.
Save life on land, in sea and air,
In all our contacts - let us be fair.
Love all those who can't love themselves
And in so doing enrich ourselves.

Take from the earth just what we need;
Extinguish all the fires of greed.
Support those who strive to save
This planet for chaos could us enslave.
Let's show concern for starving millions
Thoughtfully dispensing of our billions.

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by Kay Fernando

Comments

Thank you so much for inviting me to participate in the reading and music event at the Indonesian Consulate General last Saturday - Lella

"I found the Jembatan Society's poetry reading a very stimulating experience, surrounded by like minded people in a very pleasant atmosphere. If you're interested in literature, either in English, Indonesian or both, I sytrongly recommend attending the next Jembatan Society gathering." - Mannix

"It was great to take part in the poetry reading organised by the Jembatan Society, on an extremely hot Melbourne Saturday afternoon, on 25 February 2012. The atmosphere was very friendly and relaxed and everyone listened keenly to all the readers who took their poems from a diverse range of Indonesian and English texts. Most readers explained the reasons for their selection of poem. This made the event even more enjoyable because it further personalised the reading. Some readers provided an even stronger side to the afternoon by declaiming poems they had penned themselves - Simon

'It was very enjoyable the other day, and I hope to come again to the Jembatan Society for the next meeting Rolf

I can just say that I enjoyed the opportunity to meet others who appreciate poetry and to become acquainted with Indonesian poetry. It was pleasing to see the conviviality between Indonesian and Australian poets. The food was most enjoyable and the setting was so unusual that it would have been worth going for the unusual ambiance alone! I hope I will get an opportunity to be there again on a future poetry night.

- Rory Hudson

AKU

Kalau sampai waktu
'Ku mau tak seorang kan merayu
Tidak juga kau

Tak perlu sedu sedan itu
Aku ini binatang jalang
Dari kumpulannya terbuang

Biar peluru menembus kulitku
Aku tetap meradang menerjang

Luka dan bisa kubawa berlari
Berlari
Hingga hilang pedih peri

Dan aku akan lebih tidak perduli

Aku mau hidup seribu tahun lagi........

When my time comes
No one's going to cry for me,
And you won't, either
The hell with all those tears!

I'm a wild beast
Driven out of the herd

Bullets may pierce my skin
But I'll keep coming,

Carrying forward my wounds and my pain
Attacking
Attacking
Until suffering disappears

And I won't give a damn

I want to live another thousand years..........

A Bush Girl

She's milking in the rain and dark
As did her mother in the past.
The wretched shed of poles and bark,
Rent by the wind, is leaking fast.
She sees the "home-roof" black and low,
Where, balefully, the hut-fire gleams-
And, like her mother, long ago,
She has her dreams; she has her dream.
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Farewell Rendra

Six days before he died, WS Rendra wrote a poem from his hospital bed. In the untitled poem, Rendra expressed his love to God. The handwritten poem was shown at his house in Depok on Friday.

I am weak

But not helpless

I am not complaining

about the painor the itch

I want to drink tajin [rice water residue]

I never have difficulty breathing

but my physique is not satisfactory

to have a normal and ideal position

I want to cleanse my body

from chemical poison

I want to return to nature's way

I want to improve my dedication

to Allah God,

I love you

Rendra 31 July 2009 Mitra Keluarga Hospital

Michael Parr

Michael Parr
.............So, my experience as an Australian living in Japan afforded me an open door to building relations with Japanese because there were open to Australian. So, as a foreigner going overseas attempting to into-relate with the local community understanding the nature and structure of 'social relationships' within the society is fundamental and required the new comer to step outside the own social morays and operate within the local framework; ie, "When in Rome do as the Romans do."

Interaksi

‘Ngembek di kandang kambing, ngaum di kandang macan.’ Gimana kalau ngembek di kandang macan? Ya, kalau kambing berani ngembek di kandang macan ya mati!’ Begitulah komentar anak penulis sendiri waktu dia masih di kelas 6! Ini kaitannya dengan situasi mahasiswa internasional di kampus-kampus di Australia. Artinya dalam laporan Overseas Students Association Universitas Adelaide 2005 dan laporan gabungan Universitas Melbourne dan Monash 2004 yang menyimpulkan bahwa interaksi antara kedua kelompok rendah sekali! Prof Simon Marginson dari Universitas Melbourne mengatakan bahwa interaksi antara mahasiswa asing atau yang sekarang lebih dikenal dengan nama mahasiswa internasional dan lokal cukup ‘mengkuatirkan’ tapi tidak ‘berbahaya’; worrying but not alarmed!

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Lella Cariddi

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