BOOK PREVIEW

What’s wrong with Love, give us God

By: Sri Wintala Achmad

The Indonesian literature has experienced resurgence. The positive reality being enough proud can not be separated by increasing the passion of center creator in creating the popular literature, such as: cik-lit and teen-lit. Making happy more, the increase of creators is represented with increasing the quantity of literature’s readers, in which a large part of them is adolescent or younger one.

The other factor that makes it completely, the existence of adolescent or younger creator comes from women circle. As result, the literary books from the former feminine creators such as: Dewi Lestari, Ayu Utami, Jenar Mahesa Ayu, and from some new comers can be found at book stores, especially in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

But what apprehensive, when seeing one of literary genres wrote by feminine creators and begin to be interested by consumers is still limited with novel and short story. Other means, one of literary genres (poem) has not yet had a capability to obtain the discussion of consumers’ market. This matter shall be as publisher’s big obstacle to publish the works of feminine poets to the space of literary appreciators, lovers, or readers. Therefore, feminine creators they literature have been published by publisher, we can say they are lucky creator.

So, how about Umilia Erha, her poem anthology has published by "Langit Biru Publisher"? Does she feel her creativity was lucky? In the mine time, what publisher really feel bite finger, because the anthology of poem  produced can not product valuable important financial, or publishing product can not be able to cover cost production?

To answer the question doesn’t need think seriously. Because the answer is clearly, of course creator, called her Umilia, certainly will feel so happy. Because, her anthology of poem prepared  since 1997 up to 2005, not only be habitant of her drawer. But it can perform into appreciate room and poem readers or lovers, although the number is limited.

The other side, I believe publisher bite their finger after publishing her anthology of poem, when only based for motivating financial advantages. But, when saw from function of publisher, as one kind of literary society media, especially poem, publisher can not be considered useless. Remember, contribution of poem in the life have positive value properly to meditate together. Although, confessing that poem made by women or men creators is impossible when they have strength to built a better life.

CBKT: Umi ‘s Meditation in the Modernism

Reading of the anthology of poem created by Umilia in "Love, give us God" (CBKT) is really interests. Because, publishing book of poetry CBKT perform into appreciating room and poem reader and lovers with the bilingual of Indonesian and English has value transcendental meditation of creator. That in the modernism it has made human sleep to the materialism, individualism, also make a long distance between human and their God.

One of 42 poems in CBKT reflected a meditation transcendental of creator in modernism of human life can read at KERANDA KOTA/The COFFIN OF CITY (Page 32). The poem cerated by creator, like this:

THE COFFIN OF CITY

Born by the city sleeping a long of night

Wind offers the cruel blow

Of the future beat, while

Dream makes rotten beside street

Up to winning extends

Stunning thousands jackal’s wild children

And buildings of crime, one by one, are built

With the spread of various flowers

Is this a dearest’ white code, though

It is just the most eloquent pronunciation

2000

The poem  above can give a means, creators assume city like a place for fighting. Till human is one of jackal’s wild children, doing everything cruelly to snatch modernism’s dreams each other. Of course, people with their good capability have a good chance for making of their dream to be real. So, the other can just lament over their dream like a left hope in side of the street, like trash in the basket.

Modernism not only signed by separated of class, but buildings of crime also built in the other side of elegance. The installation is not only for prostitute’s area, bar, blue cafe, or hotel; but a building built in the certain place when there’s a rule, and also morality begun by various practice of crime by habitant.

The bad reality caused of miss-understanding people is to modernization substance, exactly made something means to creators as God’s sign to people so that they turn to the light almighty. Not just the most eloquent pronunciation in the holy, although that is included in sastra gumelar.

The creator based function of pray not just pronunciation, like included in the prayer of night (page 40), third couplet, //I hope my prayer on this night’s face/it is not just as a pronunciation of words/but passing away to be disappeared/like the dew rolling on leaf/and steaming in the burnt day/when the sun rises higher//.But the function of pray like the words in second couplet, that is://I hope my prayer on this night’s face/it always vibrates the restless soul/being out of breath in hurt/like the leaves blown/by the gentle wind of the morning, and/quenching of heart’s thirst//.

The creator’s idea about function of pray like was included in DOA MALAM poem, also being written again by her in DALAM SUJUD poem. Manner completely, poems including of pray function as form as surrender or human repentance for God.

IN THE PROSTRATION

The dying soul was deeply gotten stuck

The dwarfish soul was lied forward in prostration

My rotten organs called out, "o, God

Naked I am from the dark days’ dots

I have lost the petrified garrulous ulcer

The result of last wind

1997

CBKT: Human’s Love Meditation

Through the anthology of poem can find as result as transcendental experience’s creator of their meditation, and also be the love story of MIRA and KABERA, creator’s friend. The love story when was not beautiful, but with many challenge. Because, KABERA has wife and two children, they are man and women.

In spite of that, love story of MIRA and KABERA full of challenges of them family can not make them give up. Although, they believe fate of human love depend of God. Not surprised when they proud love gave God. Because, only God, they give their love in their soul so it can be process naturally. So far, look at Umilia’s poetries, LOVE, GIVE US GOD (Page 38), that wrote like that:

LOVE, GIVE US GOD

Man spoke in the silence

While, Eva’s body

In the hindered whisper made cinders

:"love, give us God!"

2003

The love story of MIRA and KABERA being inspiration for creator to create a part of their poems at CBKT, can not be looked for black and white sides. Other means, the love story of them is not absolutely orientation to norm when has been long time in the human environment. But, those poems should be based from understand the means of love that always blanket of mysterious fog. It that makes strong assumption that unfaithfully in love story can not be claim as absolutely mistakes.

Although like that, MIRA feel that their love for KABERA is a forbid loving and be the huge sin. Caused that, she feels regret why she meet KABERA, and burning love that no effect to think before. The remorse make MIRA crowded, or Eva’s body whisper made cinders," Love, give us God!"

MIRA’s regret realize KABERA, so that her sweet heart loving the other girl. This matter completely finished by Setya Bangun Suharto, the writer of empirical experience of MIRA’s love through creator says, that is: KABERA is realized that he has to move, let MIRA to make aromatic in the other garden. That poem that is written by her like that:

WHERE SHALL THE WIND BRING YOU AWAY

Where will the feet’ step you draw away

Going along the tops of hill

Wading through steep and valley

Breaking of sky

Finding a meaning of peace

In a small part of breath in the wild city

You compel to free my hands

Seeking a new real person

Look at, the trace of blood

Left from your feet’s trace

Has not it been enough yet?

Who knows, I do not also know

Are not these hands

Being strong to keep you?

2004

Become of MIRA and KABERA love story that not too sad in proportion to JULEY and ROMEO love story, PRANACITRA and LARA MENDHUT,INTAI and SAMPEK, etc but can know that feel pleased love is not for forever, sadness, and also the death. Caused of the love not make human on real position, be medium freedom for other. Not as medium or authority for other. Hopefully this comprehension can make us realize, that love is a gift from God, when the role of love hopefully can give a spiritual light in human’s soul.

Latest notes

Loosing from the means of the anthology of poem, the presence of Umilia in literary world in Yogyakarta, and in Indonesia still proper get space for her presence. Because she not just luster the literary world, but also give a creativity stimulating for women writer, especially for them being in process of creativity.

So, the publisher’s aim to make grown a literary creativity process, in the women space can be real. Till publishing the anthology of poem, is not useless. The appreciation is proper to give. Of course, appreciation can not be forever for finance, but it can say critic and suggestion to build up. This is important to motivate publisher that have commit to grown up literature’s world.

The constraint tomorrow will be face by publisher. But their factor might be courage to the professionalism and loyalty effort to make publishing real, especially in the poem or literature. Through loyalty and professionalism, he good product will be find, when the advantage not just on developing literature, but for increasing writer presence and publisher that the aim go to real advantages for them.