LIGHT BULB

A hanging light bulb burns bright in the room. The man
           entwines his fingers and their shadows move
           on the wall; “That’s a deer,” he says.
           “Hooray!” shout the children. “Now a tiger!”
“Here’s a tiger.” Hooray! “Now an elephant, a wild boar, a monkey . . .”

A light bulb wants to turn itself off. It feels as if
           it were in the middle of a jungle. It hears
           the clamour of the beasts. Suddenly it feels
           alien and uncared for.

Bola Lampu

Bola Lampu

Sebuah bola lampu menyala tergantung dalam kamar. Lelaki
           itu menyusun jari-jarinya dan bayang-bayangnya
           tampak bergerak di dinding; “Itu kijang,” katanya.
           “Hore!” teriak anak-anaknya, “sekarang harimau!”
“Itu harimau.” Hore! “Itu gajah, itu babi hutan, itu kera . . .”

Sebuah bola lampu ingin memejamkan dirinya. Ia merasa
           berada di tengah hutan. Ia bising mendengar hingar-
           bingar kawanan binatang buas itu. Ia tiba-tiba merasa
           asing dan tak diperhatikan.