Medan Merdeka

One morning soon
balloons will rise
red and white
over Merdeka Square
against the pale blue of dawn
as trains rumble high into Gambir station
from Depok and Bogor
past shacks the filled
with bright smiling faces
a toothless woman will remember
the dance steps of her youth
as she sweeps the rotunda
of the old Imanuel Church
and young men in sarongs
will linger calmly
in the hallways of the national Mosque
tourists in the coffee shop of the Borobudur
will comment on the serenity
in the waitress' eyes

One morning soon
no stone face guards
will stand for hours
through meaningless presidential speeches
as overfed officials fight off sleep
on the grounds of the Istana

One morning soon
the sun will rise
on a new nation
taking its place on the world stage
the grandfathers will weep once again
at the tunes of Indonesia Raya
no shops will be burned
no officials will be bribed
no monopolies will steal
no propaganda will stifle spirits
over television screens

One morning soon
you will speak your mind
and embrace from the heart
Muslim and Protestant
Hindu and Catholic
Chinese and Sundanese
no youngsters will languish in jail
without a trial
no shrieks of torture will be muffled
by soldiers in dark echoing hallways
no one will disappear without a trace
no one will receive slave wages
everyone will buy their children milk
no one will sell their soul to the mighty

One morning soon
the friendly tones of the national language
will have meaning once more
the nation will erupt in joy
as the gilded flame of the national monument
will burn for once with real fire

One morning soon
your "merdeka" will be complete at last

AMVB