Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Afrizal Malna

train in rainy season

for 10 days i have been in a train,
returning and going to the same city. in
that train my eyes are always focussed on the
passengers’ bags. i ask if maybe there is a
swimming pool inside their bags. maybe there
are also restaurants for dinner. but their
bags are silent like themselves. maybe the
passengers are building a house inside their
bags, when they are silent. when all of the
passengers start to sleep, i play with their
bags. i enter their bags. ow, i find chocolate and
salted egg. faded name cards. i put on the clothes they
carry in their bags, then i make a dinner party
with the clothes in their bags, like
opening a city.

don’t cry anymore, i say. outside, time is
walking behind us. outside, there are no
more bags in which to hide ourselves.

kereta di musim hujan

kereta di musim hujan

sudah 10 hari aku berada dalam sebuah kereta api,
pulang dan pergi ke kota yang sama. dalam kereta
api itu mataku selalu tertuju ke tas para penumpang.
aku bertanya mungkin ada kolam renang dalam tas
mereka. mungkin juga ada restoran untuk makan
malam. tapi tas mereka bungkam seperti diri
mereka. mungkin para penumpang itu sedang
membuat rumah dalam tas mereka, saat mereka
bungkam. ketika seluruh penumpang mulai tidur,
aku bermain-main dengan tas mereka. aku masuk
ke dalam tas mereka. aih, aku menemukan coklat
dan telur asin. kartu nama yang sudah kusam. aku
kenakan pakaian yang mereka bawa dari dalam tas
mereka, lalu aku membuat pesta makan malam
bersama pakaian-pakaian itu dalam tas mereka,
seperti membuka sebuah kota.

jangan menangis lagi, kataku. di luar, waktu
sedang berjalan di belakang kita. di luar, tak ada
lagi tas untuk menyembunyikan diri kita.
Close

train in rainy season

for 10 days i have been in a train,
returning and going to the same city. in
that train my eyes are always focussed on the
passengers’ bags. i ask if maybe there is a
swimming pool inside their bags. maybe there
are also restaurants for dinner. but their
bags are silent like themselves. maybe the
passengers are building a house inside their
bags, when they are silent. when all of the
passengers start to sleep, i play with their
bags. i enter their bags. ow, i find chocolate and
salted egg. faded name cards. i put on the clothes they
carry in their bags, then i make a dinner party
with the clothes in their bags, like
opening a city.

don’t cry anymore, i say. outside, time is
walking behind us. outside, there are no
more bags in which to hide ourselves.

train in rainy season

for 10 days i have been in a train,
returning and going to the same city. in
that train my eyes are always focussed on the
passengers’ bags. i ask if maybe there is a
swimming pool inside their bags. maybe there
are also restaurants for dinner. but their
bags are silent like themselves. maybe the
passengers are building a house inside their
bags, when they are silent. when all of the
passengers start to sleep, i play with their
bags. i enter their bags. ow, i find chocolate and
salted egg. faded name cards. i put on the clothes they
carry in their bags, then i make a dinner party
with the clothes in their bags, like
opening a city.

don’t cry anymore, i say. outside, time is
walking behind us. outside, there are no
more bags in which to hide ourselves.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère