“فلسطين في كولكاتا” ، للشاعرة ساسْتري باكري

“Palestine in Kolkata”
Sastri Bakry

Voices of peace echo everywhere
Whispering in my heart
Poets can only speak words
For humanity’s sake

Don’t you see the blood blown
By the wind towards heaven
Joyful faces full of happiness
Escorting babies to His presence
Such bravery rooted since conception
Fighting tyranny, reclaiming ancestral lands
Clearly depicted in the scriptures

And we still struggle for ourselves
A sign that we won’t fight without faith
Then mock humanity
With arrogance, folding our arms
Feeling self-sufficient

While here, those of different faiths cry
Witnessing babies, children, men, women, old and young
Lying in blood, with bodies, hands, feet, heads separated
To whom shall I knock on the door of your heart
When scriptures are no longer needed

In Kolkata, Palestine’s echoes resound
Peaceful whispers penetrate my soul profound

Kolkata, November 2023

Sastri Bakry

Sastri Bakry, approaching 67 years, novelist, poet, Founder of Sumbar Talenta and Teras Talenta Reading House, Activist, now Chairman of SATUPENA West Sumatra. Former politician and former bureaucrat in the Ministry of Home Affairs. The novel Kekuatan Cinta (Power of Love) is a best-selling work with publisher Zikrul Hakim. The novel Sedikit di Atas Cinta) Little Above Love became an inspirational book on the Kick Andy Metro TV program in 2016. Dozens of books have been produced, both individually and in anthologies. Awarded of the Srikandi Tun Fatimah Malaysia 2007 from Malaysian PM Tun Abdullah Badawi, Srikandi Numera Malaysia 2016, Anugrah Tokoh Budaya Nusantara 2023, Melaka Malaysia , Kathak Literary Awards Bangladesh, 2024, Diploma World Poetry Movement (WPM) Russia, 2024 and several other awards from Indonesia and several countries in the field of arts and culture (Spain, Harare, Algeria, Singapore, Croatia , Turkey, Germany, India, etc.). Often invited to local, national and international literary events as a speaker in various fields of science, poetry reading, book review or singing. His works have been translated into various languages ​​such as English, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Tamil and Chinese. His poetry was also immortalized in the song which won first place at the National level entitled APWI Hymn, second place at the Sumatra Corruption Eradication Committee entitled Integrity Demo and several children’s songs which have been released on Sastri Bakry’s YouTube.
His book was discussed at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2016, Tamaddun Melayu University, in Melaka by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka with Sastrawan Melaka 2017. Launched in Thiruchirapaly, India 2018 at the ASEAN plus India Poets Forum, and Thinkers and Writers meet, Kolkata India 2023, and at College Antara Bangsa Innovation, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, 2024. e
Until now he continues to speak out about literacy, integrity and arts and culture.
Now lives in Padang.