Monday, December 25, 2006

Joko Pinurbo, Utan Kayu

Joko Pinurbo, Pacarkecilku (My Little Girlfriend), Magelang: Indonesiatera, 2002.


Utan Kayu

for Godot

One night at Utan Kayu I didn’t meet you.

I didn’t meet anyone.

There was nothing but chairs upon tables.


The café was closed. Only part of the night

remained. I heard the rats making music

with plates, glasses and spoons. ‘I saw a great

performance tonight’, Brother Cat reported.


Where were you? Usually you are sitting looking

pretty in the corner, drinking the wind, smoking.

You looked happy when I arrived.

‘Hey. Where you have been?’


It turns out you are in the theatre.

You are putting the words back together

Which are scattered across the floor. You

are crying: hiding your face in the change room.


The next night I didn’t see you

again in the audience. You didn’t appear

once more on stage. ‘Hey, where you have

gone?’ I call out repeatedly.

(p.9)

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