by Yohanes Manhitu
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at: www.agonia.net
O God, listen to my confession!
Because I think I must unrobe
before Your most divine eyes
that my heart is now starving
in the wilderness of adoration;
and, that my bones are dancing,
in the valley of flowery thorns.
God, my omniscient Comforter.
I need not have to bear sentences.
I find no need to whisper to You
because I know You always know.
O my beloved omniscient Comforter!
Should not I love a soul I must love?
Her eyes are offering me candlelight,
her steps are leading me to an oasis,
where I think my dreams will drink.
Comforter, You know I am honest.
O my very veritable and nice Comforter!
Speak to me from your most divine lips!
Tell me what I shall do in favour of love!
Help me to learn how I shall love her!
Grant the soul and me a pure bond
through which we learn how we love.
Comforter, thank you for listening!
Jogjakarta, 13 June 2003
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Powerless Before Love
One might say he is a superman,
one might say she is a superwoman.
But when love reigns, nobody is super;
when love comes, nobody is powerful.
All creatures will surrender to love,
all mankind will look very insane.
How powerful love is when we feel it!
How beautiful love is when we admire it!
How incredible love is when we try to believe it!
But love is holy and evident before our eyes.
It is the truth we cannot hide in mind,
it is the reality we face with smiles.
Jogjakarta, 22 July 2003
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Endless Question
My mind is tired of questioning
day by day about the candle I hold.
I see the wind blowing with no end,
I hear the thunder in my own heart.
Will this candle stay alive forever?
This is a candle with a different colour,
it is a candle of a different world -
the one I am never engaged with.
The world gives me plain smiles.
Will I ever enter this world?
The candle still flares up. It does!
But is it really made for me forever?
Did my Master send it to me?
Did the world grant it to me?
I am expecting certainty.
Oh Heaven, grant me answers!
I am in need of voice, not silence.
I know, You know all, You see all.
Nothing more I wish, only answers.
Jogjakarta, 3 November 2003
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True Vagabond
Your home is the universe,
the sky is its eternal roof,
the earth is its soft floor,
a flat rock is your only bed,
the night wind is your blanket,
an outer space palace is your dream,
a river bank is your priceless bathroom,
the moon is the only lover you possess,
a loaf of bread is what you must eat,
a drop of river water is your drink,
the hands of God are your guides,
the moonlight is your sole torch,
the stars in the sky are your fellows,
night frogs are your free musicians,
birds are your faithful gifted poets,
cocks are your free alarm clocks,
and a prison is never a dream.
Jogjakarta, 11 June 20003
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Faith Exhibition
This morning I visited a faith exhibition.
The exhibition that I never thought of before.
I had believed that it would never come into existence.
But this morning I did see it with great surprise and curiosity.
You might be curious to know what I had seen there.
I saw a big banner with a big writing just on the top of the main entrance:
WELCOME TO THE FAITH EXHIBITION!
Then, I saw some beautifully decorated stands
with names on the top of their entrances.
JESUS, MOHAMMED, MOSES
were the names written in big letters with golden ink.
But, you know what? I tell you.
No-body could get into the rooms freely; no-body would enter the stands before saying some prayers in Hebrew, Arabic, or Latin, and showing their identity cards.
Every door was strictly guarded by well armed guards wearing uniforms representing the flags of the religions.
I know several prayers in Latin, so I entered the Jesus stand without difficulty.
I did not even try to know how the other stands looked like.
How can I just take it for granted that there was nothing beautiful
in the other stands?
If only I had possessed three identity cards and spoken Hebrew and Arabic,
I would have had a look in there.
When I came home I realised that I had wasted my time visiting the exhibition.
Is not it right that I have been watching such an exhibition
for many times in history?
I had been expecting to see an exhibition where many people, regardless of their different uniforms and identity cards, adored the great creations of God with smile and jokes, but not jealousy and intimidation.
I have made up my mind to avoid visiting any kind of exhibition
labelled with religion.
It is enough. I am extremely bored.
Yogyakarta, 04 January 2002
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Midnight Rain
Midnight rain�
Did you have enough nap this afternoon?
I wonder why you did not show up this morning.
I would have called you �Morning Rain�
if you had shown up this morning.
Why do you come
when I am trying to have my most expected dream?
You do bother me. Do not you understand?
I should have let you know before.
Midnight rain�
Why do you arrive when I am listening
to the beautiful music of nature?
You envy me, do you?
By the way, maybe it is not your fault. Maybe it is mine.
I should have been in bed with the dream,
so that I do not notice you when you arrived.
Midnight rain�
Are you the tear drops of heaven?
Is heaven sad because men are going crazy down here, on earth?
Say some meaningful words to me, so that I understand you!
Or, maybe you are the answer of earth�s prayer?
Will you help me tell my prayers to heaven?
If you happen to return to heaven,
please be kind
to send me a bundle of heavenly pink roses.
Do it for me midnight rain!
Yogyakarta, 4 January, 2003
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Only Words
It is only words, but very powerful.
It is only words, but kill like a sword.
It is only words, but win thousands of hearts.
It is through men's sharp ears
and sensitive feelings that words conquer.
What is more powerful than words, besides the Creator?
No-one is ever powerful with no words.
When earth passes away, only words will remain.
How wonderful words are!
How perpetual they are!
Never play with words, except when you are sure
that you will conquer!
Yogyakarta, February 11, 2002
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