Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Afrizal Malna

i just mopped the floor

i just mopped the floor. i walk on tiptoe, so that
the floor i just mopped isn’t made dirty again
by the soles of my feet. in our room, i see your
body has turned to a puddle whose bottom i
can no longer see. how can i embrace you if
your body has now turned to water? how can
i kiss you if your brow has now turned to water?
i think i must turn into a fish so that i can swim
in the midst of you. but i am not a fish. the fish
also thinks that it is not me. fish can’t mop floors
and walk on tiptoe. i also think that i can’t be
caught like the fish and be sold at the market
and then fried. the fish also thinks it cannot
imagine someone mopping the floor and a
weeping voice on the ocean bed. i also think it’s
impossible for a fish to exist in my mind.

i’m not the sea. i’m sure i’m not the sea. the fish,
too, will never believe that the end of its life is
within my body. yet i still embrace you. then i
embrace you. and i embrace you this morning.
then i sink. and i sink. be careful, let me sink.
let me become the water so i can call for you.

aku baru saja mengepel lantai

aku baru saja mengepel lantai

aku baru saja mengepel lantai. aku berjalan dengan
ujung jari-jari kakiku, agar lantai yang baru dipel
tidak kotor lagi oleh telapak kakiku. di dalam kamar,
aku lihat tubuhmu telah menjadi genangan air yang
dasarnya tak bisa kulihat lagi. bagaimana aku bisa
memelukmu kalau tubuhmu telah menjadi air?
bagaimana aku bisa menciummu kalau keningmu
telah menjadi air? aku pikir aku harus menjadi ikan
agar bisa berenang di dalamnya. tapi aku bukan ikan.
ikan juga berpikir dirinya bukan diriku. ikan tidak bisa
mengepel lantai dan berjalan dengan ujung jari-jari
kakinya. aku juga berpikir aku tidak bisa dipancing
seperti ikan lalu dijual di pasar lalu digoreng. ikan
juga berpikir tidak terbayang ada yang mengepel dan
suara tangisan di dasar laut. aku juga berpikir tidak
mungkin ada kehidupan ikan di dalam pikiranku.

aku bukan laut. aku yakin aku bukan laut. ikan juga
tak akan pernah percaya bahwa akhir hidupnya ada
dalam tubuhku. tetapi aku tetap memelukmu. lalu aku
memelukmu. dan aku memelukmu pagi itu. lalu aku
tenggelam. dan aku tenggelam. hati-hati, biarkan aku
tenggelam. biarkan aku menjadi air untuk memanggilmu.
Close

i just mopped the floor

i just mopped the floor. i walk on tiptoe, so that
the floor i just mopped isn’t made dirty again
by the soles of my feet. in our room, i see your
body has turned to a puddle whose bottom i
can no longer see. how can i embrace you if
your body has now turned to water? how can
i kiss you if your brow has now turned to water?
i think i must turn into a fish so that i can swim
in the midst of you. but i am not a fish. the fish
also thinks that it is not me. fish can’t mop floors
and walk on tiptoe. i also think that i can’t be
caught like the fish and be sold at the market
and then fried. the fish also thinks it cannot
imagine someone mopping the floor and a
weeping voice on the ocean bed. i also think it’s
impossible for a fish to exist in my mind.

i’m not the sea. i’m sure i’m not the sea. the fish,
too, will never believe that the end of its life is
within my body. yet i still embrace you. then i
embrace you. and i embrace you this morning.
then i sink. and i sink. be careful, let me sink.
let me become the water so i can call for you.

i just mopped the floor

i just mopped the floor. i walk on tiptoe, so that
the floor i just mopped isn’t made dirty again
by the soles of my feet. in our room, i see your
body has turned to a puddle whose bottom i
can no longer see. how can i embrace you if
your body has now turned to water? how can
i kiss you if your brow has now turned to water?
i think i must turn into a fish so that i can swim
in the midst of you. but i am not a fish. the fish
also thinks that it is not me. fish can’t mop floors
and walk on tiptoe. i also think that i can’t be
caught like the fish and be sold at the market
and then fried. the fish also thinks it cannot
imagine someone mopping the floor and a
weeping voice on the ocean bed. i also think it’s
impossible for a fish to exist in my mind.

i’m not the sea. i’m sure i’m not the sea. the fish,
too, will never believe that the end of its life is
within my body. yet i still embrace you. then i
embrace you. and i embrace you this morning.
then i sink. and i sink. be careful, let me sink.
let me become the water so i can call for you.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère