about my name

with my brother ibed

oi, they give me many names
and how rich my image is

while even mother didn’t know
who I was when I asked, one day after it rained
in the yard wiping off my shoeprints
made of velvet or mute

and now who am I
other than someone in a hurry challenged by time
jumping through a train door
towards you
then at every transit platform
I give a greeting: hi, how are you
do we still have time
for just a little lie?

but whose train is this?
dusty window glass is still covered in gray

so about my name, whatever you wish
it must be beautiful, for you are a name specialist
but don’t forget, tell me your name too
because each ticket will be checked
and at any time anyone could say
: is this your train too? don’t forget
your name!

nanoq da kansas
translated by Joyce Adiwinata

about rivers

among us there is one who has
borrowed so many river spirits
moved them, even recreated them
graceful names of euphrates, tigris, rhine, nile,
huang ho, amazon, ganges
even the sick ciliwung in jakarta
the restless kapuas in kalimantan
or the doubtful code in yogyakarta

a nameless one has also told a story
of a small nameless river in their village.
a lyrical prose
that they believe come from the northern mountain’s longing
for the southern ocean. The small river that was said
to carry only a little clear water yet never ran out
shared among people, animals
even fish who were also nameless. And

still talking about rivers, I’d like to tell a story of
a blue-camouflaged road of blood that passed through
the long, slender neck down to the cleavage of my lover
for what is a river other than the love of god
for the rice plants and crops that give farmers their living.
and the veins beneath my lover’s body
are also mouthless rivers that god put in place
for a farmer or maybe a fish named
: me


nanoq da kansas
translated by Joyce Adiwinata