Chrysogonus #96 - memories of a clay dragon

memories of a clay dragon 

my grandparents kept
a ceramic dragon
in their living room

it sat on the glass top
on their coffee table
as if floating on a lake

at my bedside
my grandma wove
tales of the dragon

its might and prowess
its charismatic rule
sometimes misadventure

or there was that particular story
of her best friend who went
to China and brought the dragon

to her house, a reminder
of a land her family had left
before she was even born

a country she felt strongly though
through books and tales
but she never got to China herself

so she could only imagine
a kingdom of dragons and tigers
temples and offerings for deities

she could imagine that way
until she lost herself
until speech escaped her brain

until like an empty shell, she sat
down in the living room
blank staring, almost lifeless

there was an expression
something like a smile
if the dragon was within reach


naga gerabah

opa dan oma menyimpan 
seekor naga gerabah 
di ruang tamu 

di atas meja kaca 
di tengah ruangan 
bagai melayang di atas danau 

di tepi ranjangku 
oma merajut menjalin 
cerita akan sang naga 

kekuatan dan kekuasaan 
karisma dan kebanggaan
atau kadang ketololan 

atau satu cerita lama 
sahabat yang pergi 
ke Cina dan membeli naga 

baginya, sebuah pengingat 
tanah keluarga yang ditinggalkan 
lama sebelum ia dilahirkan 

negara yang dikasihinya walau 
hanya lewat dongeng dan buku-buku 
ia belum pernah melihatnya sendiri 

ia hanya bisa membayangkan 
kerajaan para macan dan naga 
kuil-kuil dan persembahan bagi para dewa

ia hanya bisa membayangkan 
hingga tiba saat dirinya menghilang
hingga kata-kata lenyap dari benak 

hingga ia tinggal cangkang terduduk 
sendirian di ruang tamu 
menatap kosong tanpa nyawa 

hanya satu ekspresi 
muncul seperti senyum 
saat sang naga dapat tergapai