Gardener
she emerged from a scorched seedling
starved of the nurturing sun’s embrace
her roots grasped within each childhood day
at a barren soil
in that arid hell,
she learned to contort
twisting into gnarly, competitive survival
while vibrant sprouts nearby
basked in the dewy gift of a parent’s arrival
i found her later,
calloused hardened bark
by loveless years in that blighted youth
her branches bent toward any hint of care
desperately drinking the drought of truth
now in the evening of our twin lives
i cultivate what scant blooms still emerge
coaxing tangled vines toward tenderness
our faltered gardeners,
we’ve learned to purge
the childing demons,
those ethereal wraiths that haunted her being
are weathered, transformed
no longer gnarled for the fickle affections
a steady rain has her deepest wants formed
my role remains patching the cracks
the deprivation of her sapling scars
with steadying trowel and mulch of devotion
i prune away at those cankered mars
’til she rests at last in loamy comfort
the orchid petals uncurled in giving shade
her deepening roots at peace to receive
my spade has made the love’s deep aquifer
The above poem is translated poem of mine. The original poem, in Indonesian:
Tukang Kebun
lahir ia bak tunas kerontang
diributkan teduh hangat mentari
tiap masa kanak-kanaknya
meraup tanah kering dalam rengkuh sendiri
di neraka itu,
tubuhnya meliuk dan berliku
mencari cara bertahan
sementara sebuah tunas di sampingnya
bermandikan tetesan kasih penghidupan
kutemui ia kemudian,
kulit pohonnya tebal dikikis tahun-tahun berlalu tanpa belas
dahan-dahannya merangkul sedikitnya belaian
mengisap pedih dari kehausan kepercayaan
di kala malam datang
dan menuai dua nyawa kita
kuusahakan sejumput kuncup untuk merekah
mengurai lilitan supaya lembut bersemi
mengikis roh jahat pemalas dan angkuh
sudah kugempur semuanya
mereka, para hantu kanak-kanak
yang membengkokkan raganya untuk dicintai
kini hujan teduh membasuh rintih
tanah retak dan akar dalam menanti disiram
bagiku hidup ialah mengisi celah retakan
hapus luka tunas di masa kemarau
mencangkuli hati dengan kasih dan berdikari
mengupas sakit yang masih terpendam
hingga bersandar ia dalam kenyamanan
berteduh kelopak anggrek bulan wangi
akar jiwanya yang kerontang kini teduh
akuades kasih aliri sanubari
