Sonet 12

karya: Sapardi Djoko Damono

Perjalanan kita selama ini ternyata tanpa tanda baca,
tak ada huruf kapital di awalnya. Yang tak kita ingat
aksara apa. Kita tak pernah yakin apakah titik mesti ada;
tanpa tanda petik, huruf demi huruf berderet rapat -

dan setiap kali terlepas, kita pun segera merasa gerah lagi
dihimpitnya. Tanpa pernah bisa membaca ulang dengan cermat
harus terus kita susun kalimat demi kalimat ini -
tanpa perlu merisaukan apakah semua nanti mampat

pada sebuah tanda tanya. Tapi bukankah kita sudah mencari
jawaban, sudah tahu apa yang harus kita contreng
jika tersedia pilihan? Dan kemudian memulai lagi
merakit alinea demi alinea, menyusun sebuah dongeng?

Tapi bukankah tak ada huruf kapital ketika kita bicara?
Bukankah kisah cinta memang tak memerlukan tanda baca?

Sonet 10

karya: Sapardi Djoko Damono

Ada selembar kertas yang belum bertulisan.
Apakah kauharapkan aku ke mari seperti semula,
belum penuh dengan coretan?
Ada yang ingin menulis aksara demi aksara

dan tahu tak akan mencapai kalimat meski ada tanda seru
di ujungnya. Tidak semua memerlukan tulisan,
(Apakah aku kaubayangkan selembar kertas itu?)
meski sudah terlanjur tercatat sebelum sempat diucapkan.

Air menyeret catatan berkelok-kelok di sepanjang sungai
bila penghujan. Tetapi sama sekali tak terbaca
bahkan ketika sudah begitu rekah-rekah perangai
kemarau. Tinggal garis-garis yang carut-marut di dasarnya.

Kau mengharapkanku kembali seperti itu? Risaukah kita
ketika menyadari bahwa tulisan tak perlu, ternyata?

The Beauty of Life

The Beauty of Life
does not depend on
how happy you are,
but how happy others
because of you.

Best Wishes For a Blessed Christmas

Life Is Too Short,
Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly,
Kiss Slowly, Love Truly,
Laugh Uncontrollably,
And Never Regret Anything
That Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party
We Hoped For,

But While We're Here, We Should Dance...

Life Long Struggle
(Henry Ward Beecher)

It is not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned.
It is not what we intend, but what we do that makes us useful.
It is not a few faint wishes, but a life long struggle that makes us valiant.

Everything in Its Time

here is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

the wise heart will know the proper time and
procedure.

For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
though a mans misery weighs heavily upon him.

Since no man knows the future,
who can tell him what is to come?

No man has power over the wind to contain it;
so no one has power over the day of his death.

Do not say, Why were the old days better than these?
For it is not wise to ask such questions.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.

I thought in my heart,

God will bring to judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time for every deed.

Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.

There is not a righteous man on earth
who does what is right and never sins.

(Pondering the meaning of Life - discovering
ancient wisdom)