As I Walked Out One Evening

by W. H. Auden

As I walked out one evening,
Walking down Bristol Street,
The crowds upon the pavement
Were fields of harvest wheat.

And down by the brimming river
I heard a lover sing
Under an arch of the railway:
'Love has no ending.

'I'll love you, dear, I'll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,

'I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.

'The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world.'

But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
'O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.

'In the burrows of the Nightmare
Where Justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss.

'In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away,
And Time will have his fancy
To-morrow or to-day.

'Into many a green valley
Drifts the appalling snow;
Time breaks the threaded dances
And the diver's brilliant bow.

'O plunge your hands in water,
Plunge them in up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you've missed.

'The glacier knocks in the cupboard,
The desert sighs in the bed,
And the crack in the tea-cup opens
A lane to the land of the dead.

'Where the beggars raffle the banknotes
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,
And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,
And Jill goes down on her back.

'O look, look in the mirror,
O look in your distress:
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.

'O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart.'

It was late, late in the evening,
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming,
And the deep river ran on.

*Yes, indeed, sometimes the time is like an enemy for some people, especially if that person is always feeling inadequate. Then, time becomes "something" scary. Scourge. Curse. Load. Time is not a lesson. Quick and hasty, like a children who caught stealing cookies, it can not be blamed. Loud and thrilling, as the urban coarse vituperation that giddy pay taxes. Yes, time is everything. The key to open the horizons. Fence to restrict of the insanity. And, writing the paper for the expectations. And, when time runs like a rabbit, we can only stunned and cursed it.

Sauh

cerita itu pernah terputus
pada saat kita sama-sama haus

lalu semua meratap
tangan kita bersidekap

mungkin bosan
mendengar keluhan
rintihan
dariku darimu

lalu semua meratap
kita saling menatap

dari kejauhan
lambaian
bergerak pelan
di ujung buritan

sepertinya,
tiba-tiba kita saling menjauh
saat ingin kembali mengangkat sauh

Selamat Datang Kisah Baru*

tiba sudah waktunya
menghapus masa laluku
yang selama ini terus menyiksaku
teringat akan sakitnya

dulu ku ditingal kekasih
yang sangat aku banggakan
tapi kini sudah tak berharga lagi
ku sudah ada yang punya

selamat datang kisah baru
kini ku tak lagi sendiri
tak berteman sepi tak berkhayal lagi
dan aku bahagia

selamat tinggal kisah lalu
aku tak akan pernah kembali
walau 'tuk sejenak untuk mengingatnya
ku tak 'kan peduli

*dipopulerkan oleh Jejaka

Surat Untuk Pelangi Pagi Ini

Hujan sudah berhenti
tinggalkan angin mati
sang gadis pun telah lama pergi
langkahkan kaki dan lambaikan jemari

Penantiannya bersama jerami
paving blok museum pagi ini
arca-arca peninggalan dinasti
duduk bersisian dalam sepi

Meski hujan berlalu sudah
kenapa gelap masih berulah
di punggung senja yang memerah
pada ujung tahun penuh gundah

Dimana lengkunganmu
duhai pelangi dan awan biru
kenapa tak jua penuh
hanya mengintip sejak tiga bulan lalu

Poster di pagar gedung tua itu juga tahu sebenarnya
pelangi seharusnya ada setiap hujan reda
wahai, rintik itu pun kurang lebih sama
tinggal setitik di ujung tiang lampu merah

Dia --gadis itu-- telah lama menantimu
selalu berharap rindunya menyentuh lengkunganmu
Ia duduk di atas luka
berbelai dengan kata: menanti!

Duhai pelangi,
ia ingin kau kembali
jangan biarkan ia sepi terbaring pada malam dan pagi
lalu tersiksa racun jemu yang abadi

(13 Desember 2010)

Ekspedisi Menuju Ujung Bumi (2)

Bagian Kedua: Dalam Perjalanan

Langit mendadak tak bersahabat. Samudera menderu semaunya tiba-tiba. Kapal sang Nahkoda oleng begitu rupa.

"Berpeganglah pada sajak dan tiang," jerit panik gelembung-gelembung di sisi barat.

Kacau!

Lalu semuanya jadi putih. Tersadaria, pelangi tak lagi merupa di garis cakrawala. Pun, tiada terpantul di samudera

Pelangi lenyap begitu semua harap tersesap

(25 April 2011)