The wings of hope

(To my daughter Tasya Ratri)

When the light is fading

into the heart of the night

remember

that the wings of hope

are still flying us

closer and closer

to the morning light

Be not afraid, dear girl

even in the deepening darkness

the frozen air

creeping at midnight

For when you awake at dawn

you'll find a new world

opens its door

so wide

for you to step into

Be careful and be patient

my girl

-- By Ninies Maria TS

Song of blue

(To my son Daniel)

Let me open the window of my heart

just to let the light

enter

and the wind of virtue

singing tenderly

the song of life

and the breeze of truth

whispering

the hymn of eternity

after the unending melody

of unreal reality

Let me open the window of my heart

just to see

the unreal things become true,

even life seems to be an unending blue

-- By Ninies Maria TS

The writer is an editor of Kartini magazine. For years she worked as editor of Ideal/Selecta magazine, The Indonesian Observer daily and Keluarga magazine.