Arleen's Poem

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

The balloon seller

You stood along a dusty rod
Watching cars passing by
Your bicycle stood before you
As loyal and silent company

You saw some children who took note
Of birds who flew way up high
And knew that they would like what you
Would give in exchange of some money

You reached for a maroon balloon
Put some air to let it fly
And knew those children will come soon
To buy some nice balloons

You sold all that you had at noon
Your waist pouch full of precious notes
You whistled out your favorite tune
And rode your bike back home

Tomorrow is another day
To make the tiny children smile
Selling balloon is just the way
To travel mile by mile

13 May 06 23:10

Sampai saat ini

(After all this time)

Bahkan sampai saat ini
Dirimu slalu ada dalam benakku
Senyummu, wajahmu dan sinar matamu
Kenangan berakar di lubuk hatiku

Bahkan sampai saat ini
Kucari dirimu di antara keramaian
Kuingin kau melihatku lagi
Dan tak lagi menganggap aku tiada

Bahkan sampai saat ini
Aku tersesat di tengah lautan harapan
Bertumpu selembar papan yang penuh dusta
Berpegang pada mimpi yang dulu dan yang akan ada

Dan aku tahu sampai saat ini
Kau tetap terbang di luar jangkauan
Tapi bahkan sampai saat ini
Kuharap suatu hari kau kan datang untukku

11 May 2006 07:35

After all this time

Even after all this time
I think about you every now and then
You smile, your face, your gazing eyes
A memory deeply rooted in my heart

Even after all this time
I long to see you among the crowd
To find you looking back at me
And not see thru me like I wasn’t there

Even after all this time
I’m hopelessly lost in the sea of hope
Hanging on to a fragile plank of lies
Holding on to all past and future dreams

And I know after all this time
You still fly far beyond my reach
But even after all this time
I hope you’ll one day come for me

11 May 2006 07:35

Di kala hati

Di kala hati terjebak jaring
Terikat tali belenggu besi
Tiada kuasa tuk pergi bebas,
Tuk lari jauh, tuk terbang tinggi

Hati tertinggal terbeban duka
Mencari asa meraba gelap
Terbentur hampa hitam encekam
Terhempas pilu sakit mendaging

Di kala hati bebas kembali
Menerpa angina menyapa burung
Jaring yang koyak sejarang nyata
Masa yang lalu berbalut nyeri

Kini sang hati terbang mencari
Cinta yang baru, cinta yang ada
Cinta yang suci memberi hidup
Memberi arah, memberi asa

Di kala hati tlah pulih lagi
Semua cerah rona membara
Membakar jiwa rasakan cinta
Tiada lagi yang lebih indah

2 May 2006 21:05

Lost Love

When I first saw you there in the old school days
You looked past my mask right into my soul
And I had a slight hope that you’re willing to stay
To walk by my side forever and more

Then we strolled hand in hand on some winding roads
You walked away once and never look back
And I waited each night till my candles burnt out
You’ve left me behind and never come home

When I then realized we’re half world apart
My tears have erased all the memories we had
And I stopped my waiting and strived to live on
To walk by myself for as long as I need

Then on one afternoon when the rain beat my roof
You knocked on my door and saw right thru my heart
If only you told me you would come again soon
I would have waited standing at my door

But now you’re just a shadow of what could have been
Remnants of the past when time was different
So I waved you good bye and shut my door tight
Our paths have once split we could go back no more

17 April 2006 21:20

Hanya Cinta Titipan

Jika dulu sempat kauberikan
Sedikit cintamu tuk kusimpan
Ku tahu itu bukan selamanya
Hanya sampai saat kau minta

Setelah lama kau biarkan aku
Menyimpan cinta dan juga rindu
Tetapi ku tahu waktunya ada
Saat kau datang menagih cinta

Cinta yang dulu masih rapi kusimpan
Walaupun hanya cinta titipan
Kuharap suatu hari kan jadi milikku
Bila kau datang membawa rindu

Tapi kau datang tuk meminta lagi
Cinta yang dulu sempat kauberi
Maka kukembalikan utuh padamu
Walau hatiku berbeban pilu

Dari dulu memang kutahu
Cintamu hanya cinta titipan

15 April 2006 11:22

Menggapai Awan

Menggapai awan sepenuh jiwa

Berbekal tulang, asa dan cinta

Terkadang hampa, sesak di hati

Terkulai lesu tangisi diri

Namun kubangkit teguhkan hati

Masihlah ada awan menanti

Walau menempuh jalan mendaki

Akan kucoba langkahkan kaki

Sampai kujatuh terdera batu

Ragaku kaku hati membeku

Seolah tak kuasa untuk melaju

Terduduk ragu menangis pilu

Kucoba lagi kumpulkan asa

Tabahkan hati cairkan luka

Terus melangkah terus mendaki

Menggapai awan sampai kumati

29 Mar 06 20:12

Tiada Cinta, Tiada Asa



Kala kau pergi entah ke mana
Kuharap ada asa yang sisa
Tuk kusimpan sampai ke masa
Ragamu datang membawa cinta

Kalaku tahu kau tak kembali
Asa yang dulu pun tiada lagi
Hanya da tangis dan luka hati
Membungkus rapat raga dan diri

Jikapun nanti hatimu ada
Kutau hatiku tak pernah lupa
Walaupun cinta tak kenal masa
Ku tau kita takkan bersama

Waktu tuk kita sudah berlalu
Dimakan zaman hancur mendebu
Terlampau jauh untuk menyatu
Terlalu lama untuk mengaku

Waktukau pergi tanpa berita
Harusnya kutau tiada asa
Waktu kau hilang tanpa bayangan
Kutau cinta tinggal kenantan

28 Mar 06 21:30

The Little Girl at the Burial Ground

At my ancestor’s burial ground at dawn
I saw a little girl running about
She was barely three years old
Thought her eyes showed premature maturity

She looked at me with steady eyes
As if there’s no question, no mystery
As if she’d seen me a hundred times before
Paying respects to my ancestors

I know she’d never seen me before
For I haven’t been back for too long
But I can tell she’d been around
other visitors to the burial ground

The little girl with dirty ribbed clothes
Squatting down a few steps from me
As I took out my offerings
She couldn’t help but stare at them

When I went about doing my ritual
She went about to do hers as well
Pulling flowers, weed and leaves
Sniffing them and pulled some more

I sat before the gray gravestone
With the girl as my only company
Even though nothing’s said between us
I was glad that she was there that day

As the sun went up and shone on us
I noticed her weather-battered skin
That framed her big inquisitive eyes
Which looked more and more often at my offerings

Perhaps while I thought about the past
She was thinking about the future
About the near future in which I’m gone
And she can freely eat the oranges

I took my time and she continued to wait
Patiently till I was ready to take my leave
I packed my stuff but left the oranges
Right on the offering table

I left it not for my ancestors’ spirit
But for the little girl in dirty ribbed clothes
Who had accompanied me that morning
And waited for the oranges

26 Mar 06

Tortured

For one true love I’ve left behind
For all the dreams I’ve set aside
I have a regret of some kind
For my so clearly lack of fight

And now I stand and mourn alone
And shed my tears that’s way past due
And feel the pains right thru my bone
Ones I caused rather than my foe

I always wonder why I did
not stand and put a fight for us
And now all that I have is bit
and pieces of things from the past

Like empty hopes and broken dream
I know will always haunt me still
And even if I cry and scream
As far as farthest vale and hill

And now I sleep and cry alone
Until my tears have flowed no more
For the only true live I have known
Has left me empty to the core

I paid for giving up too soon
For not fighting for love that’s mine
And now my life I know is ruined
And nothing seems so fair or fine

If only I could turn back time
To hold you in my arms again
My days’ll be full of songs and rhyme
And not just breathing soul in vain

26 Mar 06