Independence Day

TITLE: Independence Day

AUTHOR: Ara Djati

ARTIST: Nika Klee

TRIGGER WARNINGS: REFERENCE TO WAR AND COLONIALISM

For the children on the grassy fields,

barefoot and laughing:

White crackers hanging by a flimsy string,

Calloused hands playing tug-of-war

Painted kites flying high in the blue,

sting of the sun at August’s peak

For the mothers in the village square,

busy and planning:

A meal, a timetable, three rolls of raffia

(Budi used up the ones from last year)

Photos of competitions, tinted sepia

Indonesia Raya booming from the loudspeaker

For the narrow alleys in each town,

rendered red and white:

Colored balloons and plastic bags

decorating the walls in all their glory

People running, waving proud little flags

Tracing the words of their ancestors’ story

For the names engraved

on gravestones that never existed:

Dedicated bloodshed, even after nineteen-forty-five

Rising and waking and dreaming out loud

Hearts that are still, but still alive

When they look at us now, are they proud?