Cicada's cry haiku

windy afternoon
i think i knew you
cicada's cry

siang berangin
kurasa aku pernah mengenalmu
nyanyian garengpung

Empty promises tanka

turning pages
one after another
bit by bit our promises
move slightly closer
to a blank backflap

menyusur
halaman demi halaman
perlahan-lahan janji kita
bergerak menuju
sampul kosong

Recolor memories haiku

rain in the sun
how long it takes
to recolor memories?

berapa lama kita
mewarnai ulang kenangan itu?
gerimis siang bolong

Shallow water tanka

washing my feet
after this long walk
in shallow water
the memory of you
runs downstream

membasuh kakiku
setelah perjalanan ini
di sungai kecil
kenangan tentangmu
larut dalam arus

Memorabilia tanka

the day you promised
not to leave me forever
feels like yesterday
in my cabinet, a box full
of memorabilia

seperti baru kemarin
kau berjanji tak kan pernah pergi
di lemariku,
satu kardus penuh
memorabilia berdebu

No dance tanka

thinking about you
i decided not to dance
with the evening wind
not knowing
what to save for last

memikirkanmu
aku tak ingin menari
bersama angin lembah
entah apa yang masih tersisa
untukku besok hari

Bamboo dance haiku

into birdsong
i let the bamboo groove
dance for me

nyanyian burung
mengiringi rumpun bambu
mewakiliku menari

Jealous haiku

sunny saturday
good nap and romantic movies
why am I so jealous?

sabtu yang cerah
tidur lelap dan film romantis
kenapa begitu cemburu?

Leaving hometown haiku

leaving hometown
be safe, says my mother
on her wheelchair

keberangkatan
jaga dirimu, kata ibu
dari kursi roda

Visiting my mom haiku

(1)
visiting my mom
he jumps over the step
for a tender hug

menjenguk eyang
dia melompati undakan
pelukan kangen

Moonless haiku

moonless
the night extends
on crow's feather

tanpa bulan
malam terasa panjang
di bulu gagak

Bumble bee haiku

for morning tea
a bumble bee comes
no jacket and tie

teh pagi
kumbang datang
tanpa jaket-dasi

Delicate sun haiku

a pebble thrown
into the still pond
delicate sun

lemparan kerikil
ke kolam nan tenang
matahari ringkih

Beggar's bowl haiku

busy roadside
filling a beggar's bowl
day moon

jalanan sibuk
mangkuk pengemis penuh
bulan kesiangan

Silent race haiku chain

(1)
voice on the microphone
freezes the daybreak
a neighbor dies

suara corong toa
saat fajar menggigil
ada tetangga mati

(2)
rainclouds overhead
and the funeral
silently racing

mendung menggantung
dan pemakaman itu
berpacu diam-diam

(3)
smell the roses six feet under

membaui mawar dari dalam kubur

A crow returns haiku

a crow returns
to it's own shadow
saturday evening

gagak pulang
ke bayangannya sendiri--
sabtu sore

Potted blues haiku

potted blues
downpour
on a desert rose

blues dalam pot
sebatang adenium
mandi hujan

After the race haiku

after the race
a mimosa sleeps
by the track

usai balapan
sebatang putri malu kuncup
dekat lintasan

Owl's cry haiku

owl's cry
dims the candle light
in a black out

nyanyian burung hantu
meredupkan nyala lilin
saat mati lampu

Counting stars haiku

night out
my boy counts the stars
with his fingers

keluar malam
anak lelakiku menghitung bintang
dengan jari tangannya

Mimosa haiku

lullaby from heaven
evening drizzle falls
on the mimosa

ninabobo dari langit
putri malu menadah
gerimis sore

Superficial lie haiku

superficial lie
hovering under the branches
:paper birds

dusta yang nyata
melayang di bawah rerimbunan
:burung-burung kertas

Halfway to funeral haiku

moos
a cow on the roadside
halfway to funeral

melenguh
seekor sapi di tepi jalan
menuju pemakaman

Moo haiku

wake me up
before the sun
a cow moos

lenguhan sapi
membangunkanku
mendahului matahari

Star in waiting haiku

crescent moon
fifteen days to go
a star in waiting

bulan sabit
satu bintang menanti
lima belas hari

Miss the lightning haiku

light rain
do the corn seeds miss
the lightning?

hujan rintik
benih-benih jagung
merindu petir?

Mother's voice haiku

cricket song
how familiar it is
my mother's voice

Ambrosia, issue 5 Summer 2010

Weaverbird haiku

weaverbird's nest
a bit closer to my reach
:remnant of the last rain

sarang manyar
menggantung lebih rendah
:sisa hujan semalam

Fall out teeth haiku

fall out teeth--
do you last longer
than death?

gigi tanggal
lebih awet daripada
kematian?

Caress of nights haiku

feeling you
the caress of nights
on crow's feather

merasakanmu
seribu malam mengusap
bulu gagak

Bad dream haiku

awaken
from bad dream, why
feel so incomplete

terbangun
dari mimpi buruk, entah kenapa
rasanya ada yang kurang

Pillow talk tanka

you don't know
how hard it is to master
since you've been away
talking only
to my pillow

kau tak akan mengerti
betapa sulit bagiku
semenjak kau menjauh
bercakap-cakap
dengan bantal

Humble love tanka

should I apologize
for letting it go thru
my weary head
a humble love
that reaches you?

mestikah aku minta maaf
karena membiarkannya lolos
lewat benakku yang letih
cinta sederhana
yang menggapaimu?

Sour tamarind haiku

tell me
how it feels to be
sour tamarind


ceritakan kepadaku
seperti apa rasanya menjadi
asam kecut

Night extends haiku

daybreak--
a crow
extends the night

fajar--
seekor gagak
mengulur malam

Hamlet haiku

rehearsing Hamlet
he plays yo-yo

dia bermain yoyo
melakonkan Hamlet

Playing bubble haiku

playing bubbles--
my boy chasing
milky way

main gelembung
anak lelakiku
memburu satu galaksi

More spice haiku

she adds more
spice into the soup:
15 years marriage

ke dalam sup
dia menambahkan merica
pernikahan 15 tahun

Family snapshot haiku

family snapshot--
everybody smiles
but my brother

foto keluarga
semua tersenyum
adikku tidak

Lunar new year's eve haiku

lunar new year's eve
fireflies
gone to the moon

tahun baru imlek
kunang-kunang pergi
menuju bulan

Bend the air tanka

the heat
bends the air
that's how the nature works
you say and turn
your back on me

panas
selalu membelokkan angin
begitulah kerja hukum alam
kau berkata dan berbalik
meninggalkanku

Alone in the moon tanka

identify the wind
one after another
does it feel this way
being there
alone in the moon?

menerawang angin
susul menyusul
sendirian di bulan
seperti inikah
rasanya?

Your emails tanka

reading your emails
my mind wanders
across milky way
for a place
where we didn't meet

membaca emailmu
fikiranku menjelajah
bimasakti
mencari ruang
kita tak pernah bertemu

Steal the moon haiku

clouds and dawn--
who's gonna be the first
to steal the moon?

awan dan fajar--
adu cepat
mencuri bulan

on the rooftop
we inhale the moonlight
with the adenium

Jump over haiku

he jumps
over a mud puddle and
a childhood day

ia melompati
sebuah kubangan lumpur dan
satu masa kanak-kanak

Mahogany seed haiku

bitter life--
he strives to swallow
mahogany seed

hidup yang pahit
ia berusaha menelan
biji mahoni

Grey hair haiku

spring's end:
his hair turns grey
and starts to fall

akhir musim semi
rambutnya memutih
dan mulai rontok

Vanishing bamboo cluster tanka

recollecting
my childhood days
i stopped
by a bamboo cluster
slowly vanishing

mengenang
masa kanak-kanak
aku berhenti
dekat serumpun bambu
yang perlahan punah

Another wrinkle haiku

monday--
another wrinkle
on his skin

senin--
satu kerutan lagi
di kulitnya

Wrinkles remain haiku

cold breeze
rubs my skin and fades
the wrinkles remain

angin dingin
mengusap kulitku lalu hilang
kerut merut tertinggal

Slope and valley haiku

spring water--
i turn myself into
slope and valley

mata air
aku berubah menjadi
lereng dan lembah

Window frame haiku

seasons overlap--
my window frame
bends outward

musim tumpangtindih
bingkai jendelaku melengkung
keluar

Tears fall haiku

blue sky
your tears fall

langit biru
ar matamu berjatuhan

Unspokenwords haiku

words unspoken
i stare at the sky
your tears pour into

katakata mati
aku terpana pada langit
yang menampung airmatamu

Kite's eyes haiku

fly high--
i wish i had the eyes
of a kite

terbang tinggi--
andai saja aku punya mata
layang-layang

Mother's tanka

how can i not be blue
my mom called and cried
for missing me
and so did my son
for his missing toy

bagaimana bisa tersenyum
di telepon ibuku menangis
katanya kangen aku
sedang anakku merengek
kehilangan mainan

Planting onion tanka

i plant an onion
and wish
may it sprout soon
a day after
my fathers demise

kutanam bawang
sembari berharap
segera tumbuh tunas
sehari setelah
kematian ayah

Peeling onion tanka

revisiting our past
i eventually realize
how hard you tried
to smile for me
while you're peeling onion

mengenang masa lalu
kusadari juga akhirnya
sesulit apapun kau coba
tersenyum kepadaku
sambil mengupas bawang

Exfoliated stories haiku

stories exfoliated
pine trees on the roadside
are you still there?

aku mencarimu
kisah-kisah terkelupas
dari batang cemara tepi jalan

Pavement tanka

a junction
where we shared dreams
cement blocks
layered over the pavement
just like lies

di simpang yang sibuk
kita pernah berbagi cerita
blok-blok semen
menutup permukaan aspal
laiknya dusta

At the boulevard tanka

dawn returns
to boulevard seeing
those pines collecting the dews
where do you head for
only time will tell

pagi selalu ingin kembali
ke bulevar menyaksikan embun
berkumpul pada pucuk-pucuk pinus
ke mana kau menuju
biar kutunggu dua tiga windu

Free falling haiku

jakarta sky
the night free falling

malam terjun bebas
dari langit jakarta

Mirror twin haiku

before the mirror
i wish i were not one
of the twin

di depan cermin
aku berharap tidak menjadi
anak kembar

Nigori sake haiku

across rice field
after harvest, we share
nigori sake

melintasi ladang padi
selepas panen, kami berbagi
sake nigori

Owl's song haiku

motor engines
imitate the owl’s song
:jakarta dusk

mesin-mesin motor
meniru nyanyian burung hantu
:senja jakarta

Lonely traveller haiku

clear sky
over sand dunes
are you travelling alone?

langit kosong
melintasi gumuk pasir
perjalanan sendiri?

Hope floats haiku

like a cloud
my hope floats
will it be rain?

bagai awan
harapanku melayang
akankah jadi hujan?

Watching kabuki haiku

before the tv
she squints her eyes
watching kabuki

matanya memicing
di depan tv
nonton kabuki

May rain haiku

may rain
every single drop tells
about june

hujan mei
setiap titik bercerita
tentang juni

Zero-return investment haiku

zero-return investment
her letter under my pillow

investasi gagal
suratnya di bawah bantal

Season shift haiku

season shift
a birdnest on the roadside
stalking the monsoon

pergantian musim
sarang burung di sisi jalan
menguntit hujan

One less haiku

night alone
billions of stars
one less

malam sendirian
miliaran bintang-bintang
kurang satu

Planting tobacco haiku

planting tobacco he doesn't stop smoking

menanam tembakau dia terus saja merokok

Smell of ashes haiku

morning dew
lingers on tobacco leaves
smell of ashes

embun bergelayut
di dedaunan tembakau
bau terbakar

Fishless pond haiku

morning drizzle
new pond in the frontyard
fishless

pagi gerimis
kolam baru di halaman
tanpa ikan

Screaming baby haiku

a baby
screams to the daybreak
:morning chill

bayi
menjerit kepada fajar
:gigil di kulit

Floating fog haiku

floating fog--
love on the window glass
vertical flip

kabut mengambang
cinta di kaca jendela
terputar balik

Studying taxonomy-haiku

studying taxonomy--
i identify you among those kinds
of water lilies

belajar taksonomi--
aku mencandramu dari
rupa-rupa teratai

Among those water lilies-haiku

still pond--
among those water lilies
can i find you?

belumbang tenang
di hamparan teratai
adakah kau?

I got a bite!-a haibun

Sunday is the day i like most these days. And today is the day. My boy in rubber boots leads me to a spring under a cluster of trees. His fishing rod, much taller than him, leaning on his shoulder, with the thin end pointing straight at my face. "I won't fail this time," he says, keeps on staggering along muddy causeway.

repeated pattern--
my footprints
next to his

It takes no time to get there before we throw the bait, an earthworm at the hook. "I'll catch the big ones," he says. Keeping his eyes down, breathing slowly, sensing any movement underwater with patience and eagerness, he pulls the line and something is struggling for a loose at the other end of the fishing line. I know, he's not happy with it but still there's a smile on his face. "Was your catch this small when you're at my age?"


Akhir-akhir ini aku sangat menyukai hari Minggu. Dan hari ini, anak lelakiku, dengan sepatu bot dari karet, berjalan di depanku menuju mata air di bawah pepohonan yang rimbun. Joran pancingnya, lebih tinggi daripada badannya sendiri, merunduk di atas pundaknya. Ujungnya menuding tepat ke wajahku. "Hari ini aku tidak boleh gagal," katanya sambil berjalan, sesekali terhuyung nyaris tergelincir, di pematang yang licin.

pola yang berulang--
jejak kami
beriringan

Tak perlu waktu lama untuk mencapai mata air sebelum kami melempar kail dengan umpan cacing di ujungnya. "Mudah-mudahan dapat yang besar," ia menggumam. Matanya tertuju ke air, nafasnya lambat, syaraf di telapak tangannya mengindera setiap gerak di bawah air. Sesuatu tampak meronta di ujung senar pancing saat ia mengangkat jorannya. Aku tahu, ia tidak begitu puas melihat hasil pancingannya, tapi senyum tetap saja mengembang di wajahnya. "Waktu ayah seumurku, dapatnya juga sekecil ini?"

Drifting apple-a haibun

He, some said, is an-almost-perfect resemblance of me in smaller size. And it's been almost 9 years I watch over him, be his company and friend, and a mentor anytime he needs me to be. We have so many in common, but he's not a bamboo shoot that grows fast without leaving the cluster. He never walks in my shadow.

old trunk
an apple falls
and drifts along the stream


Banyak orang bilang, dia kembaranku yang nyaris sempurna, dalam ukuran yang lebih kecil. Dan hampir 9 tahun sudah aku menjaga, menjadi pendamping dan teman di perjalanan, dan pembimbing kapanpun ia inginkan. Kami memang mirip satu sama lain, tapi dia bukan rebung yang tumbuh cepat tanpa meninggalkan rumpunnya. Dia tak pernah berlindung di bayanganku.

batang tua
sebiji apel jatuh
dan mengembara bersama arus

Fleurdelis haiku

a crack on my window
crops out thru the fence
a fleurdelis

jendela retak
kembang bakung
menembus pagar

Just another rain haiku -again

just another rain
mystical chant across the street
she keeps clearing her throat

hujan seperti biasa
lantunan barzanji dari seberang jalan
dia terus mendehem

Just another rain haiku

just another rain
flashing back the old days
where are those wild mushrooms?

hujan seperti biasa
hari-hari lalu melintas balik
ke mana jamur-jamur liar itu?

Smoldering dream haiku

a dream smoldering
by the fireplace
you stand and stare

mimpi melapuk
di dekat perapian
kau memandang terpaku

Sing-along haiku

morning breeze
playing the windchime
are you singing along?

angin pagi
menabuh giring-giring
kaukah yang bernyanyi?

Tuberose haiku

halfmoon--
your hair covers the pillow
tuberose blooms

bulan setengah
rambutmu memeluk bantal
mekar sedap malam

Taste the moon haiku

the last sip
of my black coffee
i taste the moon

cecap terakhir
kopi hitamku
berasa bulan

April nights haiku

(1)
in dusty mat
silence rolled up
april nights

sunyi bergelung
malam-malam bulan april
tilam berdebu

(2)
bus station, she plays crosswords

di terminal, dia mengisi teka teki silang

Cucumber pickles tanka/kyoka

wanting
to kiss your lips
gosh!
your mom serves
cucumber pickles

ingin aku
melahap bibirmu
aih!
ibumu hidangkan
acar mentimun

Mahogany haiku

a plane roars
mahogany seeds
ride the wind

pesawat meraung
biji-biji mahoni
diterbangkan angin

Table for two haiku

a table for two
raindrops fill the cup

meja untuk berdua
rintik hujan secangkir penuh

Dahlia buds haiku

empty sky
three dahlia buds
and a dragonfly

langit luas
tiga kuntum dahlia
dan seekor capung


Pakembinangun, April 3, 2010

Bubble haiku

rain don't fall
my boy blows bubbles

semoga tidak hujan
anak lelakiku main gelembung

Pauper tanka

juggling
options and possibilities
every pauper knows
the nature and logic
of economics

meniti
pilihan dan kemungkinan
si miskin tahu
logika dan hakikat
ilmu ekonomi

Wedomartani, April 1, 2010

Sleepy eyes haiku

sleepy eyes
every words
a lullaby

mengantuk
setiap kata tereja
ninabobo

Wedomartani, April 1, 2010

Embracing milky way haiku

sleeping with you
my arm embraces
across milky way

semalam denganmu
lenganku memeluk
galaksi

Pakembinangun, April 2, 2010

Changing seasons haiku

sleeping with you
changing seasons
in between us

semalam denganmu
musim-musim berganti
antara kita

Pakembinangun, April 2, 2010

Malioboro tanka sequence

(1)
malioboro--
rash spreads over the sidewalk
from the tower clock
poets rush
to the funeral

malioboro--
ruam sepanjang trotoar
dari tugu jam
para darwis bergegas
menuju pemakaman

(2)
in the neon box
nesting mouse and cockroach
:dawn's approaching
a bat, baffled and confused
searching it's way home

tikus dan lipas
bersarang di neon box
:menjelang fajar
kelelawar tersesat
mencari jalan pulang


Wedomartani, April 1, 2010