Opera House, Sydney

With a furious glance
Julius Caesar
looks at his friend,
who has turned to be his foe:
"Your betrayal, friend,
is more painful to me
than the stab of your dagger."

Who are you now,
Brutus?

City Center, Darwin

When I dropped two dollars
into his black hand
His gloomy eyes
stared at me
with an empty look.

Do I have any future
in my own land
which has been occupied
by alien immigrants?

Two dollars, oh my aboriginal friend
is enough to make you dream

-- By Prijono Tjiptoherijanto

Translated by TIS

Thousands of Feet Above the Pacific

Hundreds of bodies suspended
mid air,
half-squatting, or standing up.
Some are lying down.
Trusting those three strangers in front,
she chews her illusion of an
abundance of

time

While listening to her egocentric-earphone
music and
watching the old man beside her
sleeping.
His mouth is slightly open.

A meal is served
again.
"Beef or fish?"
Surprise me, she said.
Crossing time zones,
asking the time is too much
to ask and too little
of use.
What time is it at home?

But she is yet to find the
place.

-- By Nelden Djakababa