Dari sulbi seorang lelaki
kasih bertaut,
kau dikandung
sembilan bulan, sepuluh hari.
Engkau adalah
bukti cinta luar biasa,
dua insan yang saling mengasihi
segenap hati,
sepenuh nurani.
Kutitipkan doa
pada Yang Maha Kuasa,
moga kau membesar
sihat sempurna,
beradab tinggi,
mulia pekerti,
langkahmu tenang,
akalmu terang.
Jadilah engkau
penyuluh jiwa,
penenang hati
bagi mereka
yang membawamu ke dunia
dengan kasih dan doa.
Male, Maldives
07102025
_
I was writing a long list of advice for my son when my thoughts suddenly wandered to you and your newborn. He is a boy, isn’t he? I hope he is well. In my mind, I imagine he resembles you. Sons often carry the light of their mothers’ faces. I know I will never have a child with you, especially not a son. That dream has dimmed; I have buried it quietly within myself. Hope can be a beautiful chain, but a chain nonetheless, binding us to something that no longer belongs to reality. Our reality is not cruel; it is simply what it must be.
How has life been treating you? I haven’t said much lately. I’ve been wrestling with my own tempests, mood swings, the monsters, the restlessness. Forget me. Don’t hurt the man who loves you deeply, the one who once sacrificed his time, his money, his strength, just to make your days bright and full of joy. I did not want to be the shadow haunting another’s home, nor to bear the shameful label of gila bini orang. That incident, being caught by someone’s husband, still lingers in my mind like a scar that will never fade.
You are part of my story, not its ending, once my chef-d'œuvre. You will always remain close to my heart. You were the luminous chapters in my life that showed me how beautiful life can be. Though our paths have parted, my love for you remains aeternum, as mon cœur t'appartient. Separation is grief. Breathing becomes heavy when the wind of longing slips through the window of my room, whispering your name. The moon is my loyal companion, keeping me company every lonely night as I think of you and listen to your favorite song.
_
Cinta adalah cahaya
yang menerangi gelap jiwa
menghidupkan hati yang beku
menyentuh nurani yang bisu.
Cinta adalah denting waktu
yang tak pernah berhenti berdetak
menggurat makna dalam dada
mengajarkan sabar dan setia.
Cinta adalah doa
yang terucap di antara sepi
menghantarkan rindu yang tak henti
meski jauh, tak pernah mati.
Namun cinta juga luka
yang hadir tanpa diminta
menggores hati sedalam samudera
meninggalkan jejak, memahat kenangan.
(Usman Arrumy)