Memories of Tanamur
John RC Potter
(The author is also the translator of the Indonesian version below.)
The disco beat.
The Jakarta heat.
The dancing feet.
That famous street.
Where lovers meet.
Beautiful Indonesian guys.
Gorgeous Indonesian gals.
Those somewhere in between.
Foreigners mingling in their midst.
Everyone looking for something.
Sonique – It Feels So Good...
I could hear the music travel on the night air,
when I left the Millennium Hotel nearby.
Sonique – It Feels So Good...
Above the dance floor,
as if in the clouds,
we danced as if entranced
by the admiring crowds.
The hours passed by as if
in a fantasy-covered dream.
The scent of lust mingled with
perfume, cologne, sweat, and steam.
Finally, with early dawn in sight,
two lovers in the shadowy light.
Kenangan Tanamur
Oleh John RC Potter
Ketukan disko.
Panas Jakarta.
Kaki menari.
Jalan yang terkenal itu.
Tempat kekasih bertemu.
Pria Indonesia yang cantik.
Cewek Indonesia yang cantik.
Mereka di antara keduanya.
Orang asing berbaur di tengah-tengah mereka.
Semua orang mencari sesuatu.
Sonique – Rasanya sangat enak...
Aku bisa mendengar musik bergerak di udara malam,
ketika saya meninggalkan Millennium Hotel di dekatnya.
Sonique – Rasanya sangat enak...
Di atas lantai dansa,
seolah-olah di awan,
kami menari seolah-olah terpesona,
untuk kerumunan yang mengagumi.
Berjam-jam berlalu seolah-olah
dalam mimpi yang tertutup fantasi.
Aroma nafsu bercampur dengan
parfum, cologne, keringat, dan uap.
Akhirnya, dengan fajar awal di depan mata,
dua kekasih dalam cahaya bayangan.
John RC Potter is an international educator from Canada who lives in Istanbul. He has experienced a revolution (Indonesia), air strikes (Israel), earthquakes (Turkey), boredom (UAE), and blinding snow blizzards (Canada), the last being the subject of his story, ‘Snowbound in the House of God’ (Memoirist). The author’s poems, stories, essays, articles, and reviews have been published in various magazines and journals. Recent publications: Prose – ‘Destination: Toronto @ Midnight’ (Halfway Down The Stairs); Poetry – ‘A Year in Israel, Twelve Months in Tel Aviv’ (Culterate Magazine). His story, ‘Ruth’s World’ (Fiction on the Web), was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and his poem, ‘Tomato Heart’ (Disturb the Universe Magazine), was nominated for the Best of the Net Award. The author’s gay-themed children’s picture book, The First Adventures of Walli and Magoo, is scheduled for publication. He enjoys duties as Istanbul editor of Masticadores online magazine.
Email: johnrcpotterauthor@gmail.com OR turkyaz@hotmail.com
Website: https://johnrcpotterauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRCPotter