SWING OF LIFE: Poems Collection by Leni Marlina
/1/
SWING OF LIFE
Lihat Juga
Poem by Leni Marlina
(PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
The swing still sways—
between two silent limbs,
no longer tethered to a tree,
but to the bones of heaven
that once cradled
the laughter of children
from every windward path,
now echoing in the torn lungs of time.
None returned home,
only tender names drifted
unspoken
with fragments of books
and shoes too small to grow old.
They did not utter God
in one tongue,
nor folded their prayers
in a single form.
They called life—
with faces untouched by hatred,
not yet taught
by the bitter scrolls of history.
No recess whistle now,
no school bell rings,
only wind hums
a song without nation,
without lyrics—
a song of courage
unwritten
in victors’ books.
The swing knows:
Peace belongs not to conquerors,
but to those
never granted time
to choose between
life and death.
Still it rocks—
like a prayer beyond scripture,
like the earth’s promise
to gift another morning
to children
who slept
without a closing story
or a final embrace.
And we bear witness:
Love needs no flag.
Only one thing—
a human heart
still able to grieve
for a child
not their own.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Revised in Padang, INDONESIA
2025
/2/
A SWING THAT CHOOSES NO DIRECTION
Poem by Leni Marlina
(PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
We—
are the swings
not hung from branches,
but from understandings
the world never nurtured.
We sway
between a sky that’s lost its compass
and an earth
that no longer calls us children.
No hands rock us,
only the wind
slipping tiny names
through heaven’s cracks,
like dew-written prayers.
We were not born to die,
but to be remembered—
as soft echoes
throbbing the hearts
of those who still weep
for voiceless children.
And we shall not fall silent.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Revised in Padang, INDONESIA
2025
/3/
BETWEEN TWO PULLS
Poem by Leni Marlina
(PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
The swing knows:
life doesn’t always arrive.
It hangs
between two pulls—
not left or right,
but between
loss and possibility.
Children never asked
to be born into blasts,
they simply opened their eyes
with untainted light,
and walked
on feet unkissed by wounds.
But the world rushed—
striking them
from morning’s roll-call,
erasing their voices
from first lessons,
snatching the embrace
never given.
And the swing—
still sways,
witness to the truth
that life doesn’t always return,
but may linger
in mourning
that persists
as love.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Revised in Padang, INDONESIA
2025
/4/
BREATH SUSPENDED IN THE AIR
Poem by Leni Marlina
(PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
That swing still moves—
like a breath
unwilling to leave
the lungs of heaven.
Not joy
but longing
makes it sway.
On its frame,
voices linger—
never shouted,
tiny hands
never raised the flag of peace,
little eyes
never learned
to see sky beyond smoke.
And we,
too swift
to shut our window of feeling,
reduce them
to numbers.
Yet they are poetry—
endless in verse,
breaths never drawn back,
and memory—
that hides in each wind
combing the hair of a mother
who lost
without knowing when.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Revised in Padang, INDONESIA
2025
/5/
IN THE CAVITY CALLED TIME
Poem by Leni Marlina
(PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
That swing hangs
in a moment
not counting seconds,
but echoing—
the names
drawn into silence
before they bloomed.
It is no toy,
and never will be sculpture.
It is a body of light
vibrating still
between shards of grief
and hope
that will not be undone.
Those children—
still there,
in the curve of the swing
where earth’s heartbeat sleeps,
swaying in a hush
louder than
all songs of triumph.
And we testify:
Love belongs not only to those who stayed,
but to those
suspended
between unspoken lines
and embraces
that never came.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Revised in Padang, INDONESIA
2025
/6/
WE WHO WILL NOT BE STILL
Poem by Leni Marlina
(PPIPM-Indonesia, PPIC, Satu Pena, KEAI, ACC SHILA, ASM, Literacy Community, WPM-Indonesia)
We are not ruins waiting
to be forgotten.
We are poems
hung
in the sky of the world,
swaying with names
that were never given stories.
We are swings—
hung by history,
pushed by winds of sorrow,
but never surrendered
to time that took no side.
We witnessed a world
that counts bullets
more than verses.
Yet we hum still
with the breath of children
who once loved life
without being given
a choice of future.
We do not wait for pity.
We rewrite
the meaning of loss,
the meaning of nation,
the meaning of love
without condition.
We will not be still—
for our voices
are echoes
no statistic
can silence,
nor those
who have fear of truth.
Melbourne, Australia, 2012
Revised in Padang, INDONESIA
2025
———————-
About the Poet: Leni Marlina
Leni Marlina is a writer, poet, and lecturer born in Baso, Agam – West Sumatra, and currently resides in Padang. She grew up with a deep love for words and a strong belief that literature can serve as a bridge of kindness between human beings. For many years, she has been actively involved in literacy movements, both in her local community and across broader networks.
The poetry collection “A SWING OF LIFE” is a series of personal poems written by Leni Marlina during her postgraduate studies in the Master of Arts in Writing and Literature program in Australia in 2012, under a scholarship from the Indonesian government. After more than a decade of deep contemplation, these poems were revised and published for the first time on a digital platform in 2025.
Since 2022, Leni Marlina has been an active member of the Indonesian Writers Association (SATU PENA) – West Sumatra Branch, under the leadership of Chairperson: Sastri Bakry and Secretary: Armaidi Tanjung.
In May 2025, she was honored with the prestigious title of Outstanding Writer of the Year by Satu Pena West Sumatra during the Gala Dinner of the 3rd International Minangkabau Literacy Festival (IMLF-3), held at the Governor’s Auditorium in West Sumatra on May 9th, 2025. The recognition was a tribute to her significant contributions to literature and her dedication to promoting literary culture in Indonesia and beyond.
Internationally, Leni Marlina is a member of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng International Literary Association (ACC SHILA), led by renowned Chinese poet Anna Keiko. Since 2024, she has served as Indonesia’s Poetry Ambassador for ACC SHILA, and in 2025, she was appointed Chief Representative of Poetry in Asia for the ACC SHILA Ambassadorial Group—fostering poetic and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and the global community.
That same year, she also joined the World Poetry Movement (WPM) – Indonesia, coordinated by Sastri Bakry, with the movement’s global headquarters based in Colombia.
Earlier in her career, while pursuing her master’s degree in writing and literature in Australia (2011–2013), Leni became a member of the Victorian Writers Association, further enriching her engagement with international literary circles.
In addition to her accolades and memberships, Leni organized a major literary event on May 31, 2025: Poetry BLaD (Poetry Book Launching and Discussion) and IOSoP (International Online Seminar on Poetry). The program was sponsored by Suara Anak Negeri News in collaboration with the English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang—showcasing her commitment to developing literary forums and nurturing poetic dialogue across cultures.
Since 2006, Leni has served as a lecturer at the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang, where she actively contributes to the university’s threefold mission: teaching, research, and community service. She mentors students in language, literature, creative writing, and academic composition.
Leni’s passion for literacy and community development is reflected in several social and digital-based initiatives she founded and leads, including:
1. World Children’s Literature Community (WCLC)
2. Poetry-Pen International Community (PPIC)
3. PPIPM-Indonesia (The Poetry Community of Indonesian Society’s Inspirations): https://shorturl.at/2eTSB
https://shorturl.at/tHjRI
4. Starcom Indonesia Community (Starmoonsun Edupreneur Community Indonesia):
https://rb.gy/5c1b02
Starcom
5. Linguistic Talk Community (Ling-TC)
6. Literature Talk Community (Littalk-C)
7. Translation Practice Community (Trans-PC)
8. English Language Learning, Literacy, and Literary Community (EL4C)
Beyond the walls of academia, Leni also engages as a freelance journalist, columnist, editor, and digital media contributor. Her published works can be accessed by the public via this official link: https://suaraanaknegerinews.com/category/puisi-leni-marlina-bagi-anak-bangsa
Please read the Indonesian version of the poem collections above in the offica link bellow:
