AHMADUN YOSI HERFANDA

 

AHMADUN YOSI HERFANDA

 

I Will Come Back To You

 

When the twilight dew dampens my love fire  

And the soul bird returns to my heart nest

I heard that call again. Yes, that call

Dissecting the rage of my chest. Waiting

I will come back to You again.

Because You are my owner

 

I will come with all my wounds

By accidental cheating and treason

I will come bowing down most sorrowful

With the saddest sense of sin

 

I heard that call again

Five times a day

Never forget You called me

With the most melodious voice

Just wait. I will definitely come to You

 

I will come, even though the pain crushes my leg

I will come, even the bullets get to me

I will come, even the blade threatens me

I will come, even the distance is timeless

I will come. Certainly!

 

What's the meaning work that makes me sweat

Compared the pleasure of meeting You

What's the meaning the world that trapped me

Compared the pleasure of kneeling before You

What's the meaning romance that wears me down

Compared the pleasure of Your love

 

I will come to You. Certainly!

Because, only in You

I will be back!

 

The Lover’s Twilight Song

 

if I die, just pound like water

penetrating into the land and stones

growing trees in your yards

even the flower pistils will meet my seeds

to yield your love

 

if you are thirsty, just drink my soul

if on your body dirt stick

just take a bath in my love

the fishes feel happy in my care

the caravans feel glad to meet me

 

life has no meaning if life is life

death has no meaning if death is death

if life is not limited by life

if death is not limited by death

(if not afraid to live the soul is not afraid to die

because in death the soul finds a genuine life)

 

if I die, just pound like water

penetrating into bushes and trees

the frogs feel happy in my coolness

the lotus smile in the swing of my hands

 

life has no meaning

if it doesn’t enliven

life has no joy

if it doesn’t give meanings

-- if you are a sailor

sail your boat

to the width of my soul!

 

Reincarnation

 

I return my flesh to the fishes

I submit my blood to the cells

I give back my bones to the sea-stars

eat mine, and take my everything

if I die

turning into soil

my soul rises

to the vacuum

for years I have been fishing

owing life to the fishes

for centuries I have been drinking

owing living to the sea

for decades I have run

owing fire to the sun

the time must be coming

for me to return

all of my debts to them

I return my body to the soil

my soul go back to absence

: the substance, owner of anything!

 

AHMADUN YOSI HERFANDA

 

AHMADUN YOSI HERFANDA is a graduate of Univ. Negeri Yogyakarta. Once studied at Univ. Paramadina Mulya and completed her Masters in Political Communication at Univ. Muhammadiyah Jakarta. He was born in Kaliwungu, January 17, 1958. This poet was one of the initiators of the Nusantara Poets Meeting - a forum of poetry which is held alternately in Southeast Asian countries, and one of the declarators of the Indonesian Poetry Day which is celebrated nationally every March 26. Apart from poetry, he also wrote many short stories and literary essays. Since 1993 until 2010 he was became literary editor at the Republika News Paper. Since 2010 he has taught creative writing at the University of Multimedia Nusantara Serpong. He is a frequent speaker and poet reader in various national and international literary forums at home and abroad. His poetry collection books have been published, including The Sun (Nusa Indah, Ende Flores, 1980), The Dancer Poems (poetry collection, Indonesian Poetika Society, 1991), Worshipping Grass (Bentang Budaya Foundation, Yogyakarta, 1996), Fragments of Defeat (Publisher Angkasa, Bandung, 1996), First Kiss for God (bilingual poetry, Logung Pustaka, 2004 - won the Language Center Literature Award, 2008), From the Land of the Autumn Leaves (Pustaka Littera, 2015), and When Rumputan Meets God (Pustaka Littera, 2016) - this book was selected as the flagship book (top 5) in the 2016 Indonesian Poetry Day Award. Meanwhile, his short story collection books have been published, including Before Laughter Is Forbidden (Balai Pustaka, Jakarta, 1997), A Hate and One Cat (Bening Publishing, 2004), and Storm  (Senayan Abadi Publishing, Jakarta, 2004).