The Best Place On Earth

Pretend it was New York
We’d stroll through the Central Park
Felt the summer breeze touched my skin
While you were laughing on the jokes I made

Pretend it was London
It was raining hard when you took my hand
Put it inside your overcoat
Under the umbrella, we’d walk together

Pretend it was Paris
The street artists played some jazzy tunes
Fancy people passed by
As we kissed underneath the bright European sky

Pretend it was Tokyo
With snow falling on top of our heads
In a busy roadside booth
We’d eat ramen like there was no tomorrow

But it’s Jakarta
And we’re busy struggling for life
Even so, remembering that I have you
Holding my hand through the ups & downs
Makes this city the best place on earth

Why Can’t We Just Leave?

I got this, what should I call it? A poem? Well, it might be a poem, or lyrics, or whatever, from Oskar, who posted it to Asisten Labkom’s mailing list. It originally says “via some blog which links to another blog that links to another blog and again and again” in the end. Since I “eat blind salary” (p.s: translate it into Bahasa Indonesia), I traced it down and ended up to this blog of Christopher Gutierrez, the author. I don’t mean to be “latah” (anyone knows the proper translation?) to post this, but I kinda like how it sounds and how I want to do what it told me but ironically can’t. So, here it is:

Call It A Dare
Christopher Gutierrez

Leave home
Leave familiar
Leave the course you’re on because you never wanted to be there in the first place.
Leave him
Leave her
Leave because they don’t appreciate your love, now do do they really?

Leave working for someone else’s dream
Leave the shitty scene
Leave your comfortable couch
Leave convention
Respectability
Responsibility
Obligation.

Leave the guilt
sorrow
abuse
violence
rape
Leave it in the past because fuck them for attempting to ruin your future.
Leave apprehension
Leave intimidation
Leave “what’s right”, because who are they to tell you anyway.

Leave glasgow
Leave new york
Leave miami
Leave chicago
Definitely leave LA, because there is an adventure
a plane
Bus
Train
School application
Job application
away.

Leave soul killing jobs
Leave negative people
Leave dead relationships

You are wasting your time
Your life
Your talent
Your love
Your opportunity

And with each passing day you slowly lose your shine
your glow
your spark
your fight
your heart.

You talk about it all the time.
Just fucking leave…
And find yourself.

Then, why can’t I just f-ing leave? Haaaahhhh….. I’m such a coward…..

Buat Kamu Yang Hari Ini Golput

Ini adalah puisi dari Juniarso Ridwan. Judulnya agak basi, sih…. Tapi relevan banget sama pemilu.

Menyongsong Visi 2004

Juniarso Ridwan

Mulai sekarang kita berlatih
Berpikir untuk tidak berpikir

Bicaralah di hadapan rakyat
Tentang sesuatu yang tidak perlu dibicarakan

Kita bisa saja berandai-andai
Bahwa Jakarta berada di Papua

Bila tercatat 60% penduduk miskin
Maka 80% penduduk ternyata buta-tuli

Pilihlah tanda gambar partai
Yang tidak terlihat mata

Kesadaran yang paling hakiki
Adalah memilih untuk tidak memilih

Buruk muka negara dibelah

(Akhir 2001)

Pada Suatu Pagi Hari

Maka pada suatu pagi hari ia ingin sekali menangis sambil berjalan tunduk sepanjang lorong itu. Ia ingin pagi itu hujan turun rintik-rintik dan lorong sepi agar ia bisa berjalan sendiri saja sambil menangis dan tak ada orang bertanya kenapa.

Ia tidak ingin menjerit-jerit berteriak-teriak mengamuk memecahkan cermin membakar tempat tidur. Ia hanya ingin menangis lirih saja sambil berjalan sendiri dalam hujan rintik-rintik di lorong sepi pada suatu pagi.

(Sapardi Djoko Damono, 1973)