aj. anwar
Graffiti
those walls, wide
thick elongated, the outside of houses
or concrete fences
which were clean awhile ago
repainted by the owners
and now so neglected
appeared like the relic of forgotten times
that once stood there for a moment
proudly, looming large
assuring protection
but now lost, defiled
surrendered to
the streaked of spray paints
the guile of mischievous youngsters
on some wild nights
spurting symbols and words
pointless
coy or boedoet
all kind of gibberish
nothing but childish
the youngsters whom one day
would be arrested for embezzlement
or living as thugs at bus stations
attending illegal parking
hopefully by luck
there would still be the civilized, one or two
who’d come back here later
standing on every behalf
shameful and bowing down
before the dispirited walls
---begging for forgiveness ---
in tracing back the history
of their petty little crimes
despite how trivial they might seem
If Not Always
there is a time when something beautiful
needs no pestering, suffice to only water it
like the roses
blooming at the garden side
perhaps that is also a way
for us to appreciate
its sweet musky fragrance
that would linger longer
travel far by the breeze
there is a time when something broken
needs no repair
like the shattered vase
just leave it be
perhaps that is also a way
for us to learn to respect
that what is gone bygone---
like the shards of that ceramic---
they have a right to stop
there is a time when something hidden
needs to be left uncovered
maybe the remnant of hurts
perhaps the scar of repented sins
something that have been buried with a tomb
to mark the thorny journey of the past
in order to rise up again striving
that living starts from this moment
solemnly accepted; moving on
The Summary Of Rain
if it is about rain
the case you want to raise
suffice it to whisper ‘water’
chanting about the ocean or hurricane unneeded
let alone the wrath of gods in heaven
for it would probably speak to me more
if you call on the yearning heart
a spatial multiplier between heavy clouds
and the dry cracked land
waiting for the wet descends
AJ. Anwar is an Indonesian writer, currently based in Jakarta. He writes poetry, short stories and essays. Some of his works have been published in Indonesian national and local newspapers. He is an avid reader and loves traveling. He has visited about a dozen countries and lived for a decade in three of them.
those walls, wide
thick elongated, the outside of houses
or concrete fences
which were clean awhile ago
repainted by the owners
and now so neglected
appeared like the relic of forgotten times
that once stood there for a moment
proudly, looming large
assuring protection
but now lost, defiled
surrendered to
the streaked of spray paints
the guile of mischievous youngsters
on some wild nights
spurting symbols and words
pointless
coy or boedoet
all kind of gibberish
nothing but childish
the youngsters whom one day
would be arrested for embezzlement
or living as thugs at bus stations
attending illegal parking
hopefully by luck
there would still be the civilized, one or two
who’d come back here later
standing on every behalf
shameful and bowing down
before the dispirited walls
---begging for forgiveness ---
in tracing back the history
of their petty little crimes
despite how trivial they might seem
If Not Always
there is a time when something beautiful
needs no pestering, suffice to only water it
like the roses
blooming at the garden side
perhaps that is also a way
for us to appreciate
its sweet musky fragrance
that would linger longer
travel far by the breeze
there is a time when something broken
needs no repair
like the shattered vase
just leave it be
perhaps that is also a way
for us to learn to respect
that what is gone bygone---
like the shards of that ceramic---
they have a right to stop
there is a time when something hidden
needs to be left uncovered
maybe the remnant of hurts
perhaps the scar of repented sins
something that have been buried with a tomb
to mark the thorny journey of the past
in order to rise up again striving
that living starts from this moment
solemnly accepted; moving on
The Summary Of Rain
if it is about rain
the case you want to raise
suffice it to whisper ‘water’
chanting about the ocean or hurricane unneeded
let alone the wrath of gods in heaven
for it would probably speak to me more
if you call on the yearning heart
a spatial multiplier between heavy clouds
and the dry cracked land
waiting for the wet descends
AJ. Anwar is an Indonesian writer, currently based in Jakarta. He writes poetry, short stories and essays. Some of his works have been published in Indonesian national and local newspapers. He is an avid reader and loves traveling. He has visited about a dozen countries and lived for a decade in three of them.