Leni Marlina’s Bilingual Poem: “At the Still Point that Asks for Nothing”
At the Still Point that Asks for Nothing
Poem by Leni Marlina
the sky holds its breath
not taken by night
but by awareness
that too many wounds
have learned to live
without a tongue
clouds grow old
above the human chest
delaying their fall
because hope
is still practicing
how to stand
water descends
saline
iron-scented
a minor history
absorbed by the body
without rite
without witness
we walk downward
into silence
without instruments
without the vow of discovery
armed only with consent
to relinquish power
in the depths
time loses its compass
it is no longer a line
but a sediment
a place where failure
is allowed to rest
unhumiliated
the sea labors
wordlessly
straining faith
from ambition
from prayers
that ache to be admired
the boat groans
wood remembers fear
not to escape
but to remain supple
so it does not
harden into cruelty
prayer is born
then loosens its voice
becoming a pulse
between the ribs
where the human self
abandons the performance of strength
faith removes its name
it does not rise
it sits
beside the trembling
and chooses
to remain
at that point
humanity does not shout
does not bargain for meaning
it simply arrives
like the earth
bearing all weight
without craving memory
Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 2006
————
About the Poem & the Poet
The poem above was originally written in 2006, coinciding with the author’s first appointment as a faculty member in the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. Twenty years later, the poem has been revised and is now being published for the first time, reaching readers through a digital platform.
The poet – Leni Marlina was born in Baso, West Sumatra, and currently resides in Padang. She is a poet, writer, and lecturer in English Literature at Universitas Negeri Padang, where she has served since 2006. Her works, including the bilingual books The Beloved Teachers (2025) and L-BEAUMANITY: Love, Beauty and Humanity (2025), explore language as a space for reflection and human insight. In addition to writing poetry, short stories, and essays, she actively translates literary and journalistic texts for both national and international platforms.
Beyond her academic duties at UNP Padang, Leni has founded and managed several literary and literacy communities, including Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Pemikiran Masyarakat (PPIPM-Indonesia) – Poetry Readers & Writers Community , Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC), Literary Talk Community (Littalk-C), English Language Learning, Literature & Literacy Community (EL4C), and Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC), among others. She is also an active member of writers’ associations and literacy organizations, including SatuPena Sumbar, Penyala Literasi Sumbar, and ACC Shanghai Huifeng Literary Association.
Puisi Dwibahasa Karya Leni Marlina: “Di Titik Sunyi yang Tidak Meminta”
Di Titik Sunyi yang Tidak Meminta
Puisi: Leni Marlina
langit berhenti bernapas
bukan oleh malam
oleh kesadaran
bahwa terlalu banyak luka
hidup tanpa bahasa
awan menua
di atas dada manusia
menunda runtuh
karena harapan
masih belajar berdiri
air jatuh
asin
bau besi
sejarah kecil
yang ditelan tubuh
tanpa upacara
kami menuruni sunyi
tanpa alat ukur
tanpa janji penemuan
hanya kesediaan
untuk tidak berkuasa
di kedalaman
waktu kehilangan arah
ia bukan garis
melainkan endapan
tempat gagal
tidak dipermalukan
laut bekerja
tanpa kata
menyaring iman
dari ambisi
dari doa
yang ingin dipuji
perahu berderak
kayu mengingat takut
bukan untuk lari
melainkan agar
tidak mengeras
doa lahir
lalu melepaskan suara
menjadi denyut
di antara rusuk
tempat manusia
tidak berpura-pura kuat
iman menanggalkan nama
ia tidak berdiri
ia duduk
bersama yang gemetar
dan memilih tinggal
di titik itu
kemanusiaan tidak berseru
tidak menuntut makna
ia hadir
seperti bumi
menopang
tanpa ingin dikenang
–
Padang, Sumbar, 2006
———
Tentang Puisi dan Penyair
Puisi di atas ditulis pada tahun 2006, bertepatan dengan saat penulis pertama kali diterima sebagai staf pengajar di Departemen Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, Universitas Negeri Padang. Dua puluh tahun kemudian, puisi ini direvisi dan kini, untuk pertama kalinya, dipublikasikan, hadir ke pembaca melalui platform digital.
Penyair – Leni Marlina lahir di Baso, Sumatera Barat, dan saat ini berdomisili di Padang. Ia adalah penyair, penulis, dan dosen Sastra Inggris di Universitas Negeri Padang, tempat ia mengabdi sejak 2006. Karya-karyanya, termasuk buku dwibahasa The Beloved Teachers (2025) dan L-BEAUMANITY: Love, Beauty and Humanity (2025), menekankan bahasa sebagai ruang refleksi dan kemanusiaan. Selain menulis puisi, cerpen, dan esai, ia aktif menerjemahkan teks sastra dan jurnalistik untuk platform nasional maupun internasional.
Selain mengabdi di kampus UNP Padang, Leni mendirikan dan mengelola sejumlah komunitas literasi dan sastra, antara lain Pondok Puisi Inspirasi Pemikiran Masyarakat (PPIPM-Indonesia), Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC), Literary Talk Community (Littalk-C), English Language Learning, Literature & Literacy Community (EL4C), dan Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC), serta komunitas lainnya.
Leni juga tercatat sebagai anggota aktif sejumlah persatuan penulis dan organisasi/ komunitss literasi, termasuk SatuPena Sumbar, Penyala Literasi Sumbar, dan ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association.
