EWITH BAHAR

 

EWITH BAHAR

 

The Meditation

 

Ifs and buts in debate

turn into sparks of fire

burning hearts killing love

the sooty smokes come out of the mouths

and poisoning words hit the ears

 

Crystal clear lake within, blackened

the surface breaks

tranquility escapes through the back door

insanity slips in

a bizarre ball spins in two halves of cerebrum

 

I sit in the middle of the pitch-dark night

it’s a serenity meditation

for a blissful peace

reaching God for a spiritual peace

no more noisy arguments and clarifications

a deep silence mingled with slow heart beats

the soliloquy speaks much of dreams and hope

in pores, very deep quietude resides.

 

The Hidden Strength

 

Before the barley bed and paddy field

I learn life,

about the hidden strength

kept in a vivid weakness

 

The branchless soft trunk with grains

Steadily survive in dry and rains

Strongly keeping the promise

For becoming rice, breads, soups and stews

 

They just stood on the fibrous roots

With pride and bravery

Knowing their short life

To feed the world

Eminently appreciated.

 

A Future

 

We build dreams every night

From the stones of hope

gradually grown as massive towers 

 

From the height

Profoundly looking down to see the past

for constructing a future

from my scattered selves

 

time robbed many things

our pride will grab them back

future must be gleaming

with diadem of light.

 

EWITH BAHAR

 

is a multi-award-winning poet, novelist, translator and essayist from Indonesia, with a long-time career in radio and television industry, as script-writer, interviewer and anchor. Prior to joining RCTI (The biggest private TV station in Indonesia) in 2004, she previously was a host for several musical and cultural programs for TVRI (Indonesian government TV station). Ewith was one of TVRI’s announcers who was often sent to be master of ceremonies at presidential palace, ministries and embassies, conveyed in Indonesian or English. She has published eleven books, in all genres: poetry, novel, short stories, and essays. Her poems were published in many newspapers, journals and online medias, home and abroad. And also can be found in approximately 90 poetry anthologies in Indonesia and international level. She’s also editor for more than ten poetry anthologies since 2014. The recent ones, as co-editor for poetry book with hundreds of poets from five continents, World Contemporary Poets, and as editor-in-chief for World Poets’ Legacy, that gathered almost two hundreds international poets. Many of her poems have been translated into foreign languages, such as English, Spanish, Indian, Serbian, Armenian, Uzbek, Tajikistan, Bengali, Nepali, French, Italian, Arabian, Chinese, Catalan, Bulgarian, Montenegrin, Macedonian and Korean. One of her poetry books, Sonata Borobudur, got a prestigious prize from Indonesian National Library as The Best Five Indonesian Poetry Books 2019. 2021 and 2022, she won third place in the two essay writing competitions, each on literature and insurance. And in 2023, her another book, Impromptu Terzina, won the top literary prize "Anugerah Buku Puisi Terbaik" (The Best Poetry Book) from Indonesia Poetry Day Foundation. As a literary activist, she joined many international literary associations and communities. She is a secretary general of Poetry and Literature World Vision; once appointed as a member of Organizing Committee of yearly Panorama International Literature Festival in 2021, 2022 and 2024, organized by Writers Capital Foundation, as a prominent collaborative event between India and Italy. August 2021, she obtained an honor as a keynote speaker, conveyed virtually, in a K.M. Anthru International Literary Prize in India. She is now active in KaBi (Kanal Buku Indonesia – Indonesian Book Channel) and as a public speaker for creative writing, communications and bibliotherapy.