Sometimes
Sometimes,
I miss you.
I can’t forget you.
You’re not far away,
because I can never forget Indonesia.
I remember one day
we went to a mountain.
This mountain is too high,
you said to me.
You can’t climb;
foreigners can’t do it,
turn around, go back!
But we walked there,
to the top of the mountain.
Me and you, together.
At the top, you took my hand;
we looked at West Java below us:
the ocean sparkling in the distance,
the birds flying into the setting sun.
Later, I thought about your words:
the mountain that I had to climb that day was you.
But I still miss you…always.
Kadang-Kadang
(Bahasa Indonesia)
Kadang-kadang,
saya rindu kamu.
Saya tidah bisa lupa kamu.
kamu tidah jauh
karena saya tidah bisa pernah lupa indonesia.
Saya ingat satu hari
kami ke satu gunung.
Gunung ini terlalu tinggi,
kamu berkata kepada saya.
kamu tidak bisa memanjat;
buleh-buleh tidah bisa,
berbalik, kembali!
Tapi kami jalan-jalan disana
ke puncak gunung.
Saya dan kamu, bersama.
Di atas kamu meraih tangan saya;
kami melihat Jawa Barat di bawah kami:
lautan berkilauan di kejauhan,
burung-burung terbang menuju matahari terbenam.
Nanti kemudian saya memikirkan kata-kata kamu:
gunung yang harus aku daki hari itu dulu adalah kamu.
Tetapi saya masih rindu kamu…selalu.
*First published in Literary Yard.
—About the Author and Translator—
John RC Potter is an international educator from Canada who lives in Istanbul. The author’s poems, stories, essays, articles, and reviews have been published in various magazines and journals. Recent publications: Prose – ‘Destination: Toronto @ Midnight’ (Halfway Down The Stairs); Poetry – ‘A Year in Israel, Twelve Months in Tel Aviv’ (Culterate Magazine). His story, ‘Ruth’s World’ was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and his poem, ‘Tomato Heart’ was nominated for the Best of the Net Award. The author’s gay-themed children’s picture book, The First Adventures of Walli and Magoo, is scheduled for publication.
—About the Image—
Wikipedia Attribution:
Riza Nugraha from Utrecht, The Netherlands – The Famous Bromo. Uploaded by PDTillman, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7001671
Image Description from Be My AI:
The photo shows a stunning landscape of a volcanic mountain range. In the foreground, there is a volcano emitting a plume of white smoke, which contrasts with the surrounding green and brown terrain. The volcano is surrounded by a sea of clouds or mist that blankets the lower areas, creating a mystical atmosphere. In the background, there are more mountains, with one prominent peak rising above the others. The sky is clear and blue, with a few scattered clouds, suggesting a bright and clear day. The overall scene is serene and majestic, capturing the natural beauty of the volcanic landscape.