Page 16 - JaKita 04rd Edition 2021

16
16 COLUMN

UMBU

“Does the wind blow in Jakarta/ like it’s blown Kawa/ I wed you with the wind/ The water as
from Melati/ Could I ever find a love again/ The your guardian/ The land as your witness/ The
root of a Wonosari.” Umbu Landu Paranggi put sun as the witness of your sorrow.”
tones into his poem, which he wrote in around
1970. I was watching his video during Poetry Dearest Umbu, behind the city skyscrappers,
Night Zoom to reminisce this legendary poet, people are using empty lands for urban farming:
who was dearly passed away in April 6, 2021. My they plant vegetables and breed catfish and
eyes got teary, despite the fact that I have never tilapia. On the edge of Ciliwung river—just like
encountered the man, a son of East Sumba King, what you wrote in Rendra, 1955—they grow
who died at 77. spinach and pak choi. During this pandemic
time, they grow greeneries on their house and
Umbu was born in Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, office yards. In fact, we have planted vegetation
where the dry season often lasts for nine months in pipes at the city hall.
long. He compared Jakarta to Melati village near
Wonosari, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta—does the Dearest Umbu, the wind still blows in Jakarta.
wind blow in Jakarta, asked the President of It blows away the plant-pollens, which we can
Malioboro—like it was in green hills of Wonosari, easily get at stores, even at the kiosks on the
a place not so far from Yogya, a city where he roadside. The residents of this city plant and
lived for 15 years (1960-1975) and evolved to be grow them, to harvest them in the future. They
as great as Emha Ainun Nadjib and Ebit G. Ade. saved them not only for themselves, but also
for sale. Don’t be sad, dearest Umbu, just like
It reminded me of Jacob Tanda, also a son of your poem says: “Terlontar jauh ke sudut kota/
East Sumba, when I met him in 2013. He, who is Kenangkanlah jua yang celaka/ Orang usiran
the head of Mbatakapidu village in Waingapu, kota raya.” Moreover, “Pulanglah ke desa/
pioneered food barn system so his people won’t Membangun esok hari/ Kembali ke huma
starve in dry season. “If you want to be starved, berhati.”
let’s starved together. If you want to be full, let’s
be full together. It’s common to be born into Dearest Umbu, it’s been almost half a decade
poverty, but it’s unusual to die into one,” said since you asked in your poem. Jakarta has
Jacob, who invited his people to plant banana, evolved greatly, Umbu. The wind breezes with
corn, tubers, sorghums, lentils and many more the butterflies, which flies around the flowery
on their own yard. roadsides of Thamrin and Sudirman streets. We
can see the city farmers over the Dukuh Atas
Jacob Tanda leads sovereignty and food security park, who are busy planting and watering the
in a dry land like Sumba. Thus, does the wind still vegetables on the riverside. Then I remembered
blow in the metropolitan city of Jakarta, blends the verse in Rendra: “Life is the beads of
away their pollens to reproduce? The verse of probability/ happened through the sun’s
Umbu’s poet sits in my mind while I’m thinking beams/ Without a strong heart/ our eyes only
of the Gayo coffee farmers—when they grow the witness a mirage.”
coffee, which said to be named after a lady: “Siti Ramdan Malik

4th EDITION 2021
Information Media of The Provincial Government of Jakarta 4th EDITION 2021

Sarormation Media of The Provincial Government of Jakarta
Inf
Sarana Informasi Pemerintah Provinsi DKI Jakartaana Informasi Pemerintah Provinsi DKI Jakarta