Dec 11, 2020
Malino Peace Poetry from Year of The Poet (Vol 55)
Featured in The Year of the Poet July, 2018 Volume 55.
Malino Peace Sailing The Seas in a Dictionary Poem
Calm in Proto-Oceanic “malino”
giving rise to peace and softness “mullil”
in Atui spoken in Northern New Guinea
calm “maino” in Balawaia spoken on the Papuan Tip
describing the ocean waves and weather
where peace sails
“Malin” peace and calm in Bam
becomes soft “malua” in Gela
spoken in the Southeast Solomon Islands
where soft breezes blow
While soft is “marum” in Bariai
but not only soft, not hard
“ilolo marum” is light-hearted kind
“marum” oddly also thirsty
as a sailor with an ocean of water
And “maravu” calm in Bauan Fijian
as is “maino” in Gabadi
“maliwa-li” is to be easy or slow or gentle
as the sound of waves breaking on the beach
in the Micronesian language of Puluwatese
While across the ocean in Hawaiian
“malino” also means calm and tranquil
and “melino” in Tongan is at peace
“marino” calm in Tuamotuan Polynesian
Languages and words flowing with travelers
from one island to another
sailing on calm seas
paddling through peaceful waves
bringing words of peace
Marra-djulŋi, A Dictionary Poem
Trying to find peace
a place that is peaceful and happy
“marra-djulŋi” in the Yolngu dialect of Gupapuyŋu
vocalizing dreams in native Australian communities
Milingimbi Ramingining Gapuwiyak and Galiwin’ku
This happy place is found
in the dictionary between
a leaf or hair “marra”
or “marra bunhamirri” combed hair
and “marra-gulyunamirri” birthplace
and “marrabal” a large kangaroo
Imagine the place where care
can be taken with the self and
birthright bounties of the earth
shared “marra-djulŋi”
a place of peace and happiness
found naturally
between the body and the land
My Goodness, A Malay Dictionary Poem
“Damay” in Papuan Malay
peace and an expression
“my goodness”
perhaps because peace
arises from goodness
when we focus on ourselves
is there goodness
there is peace
In Balanese “damé”
the peace we seek
“guminé madabdaban”
the country is at peace
community quiet
full of “rahayu”
well-being peace and health
“Dame” is also peace in Kedang
spoken while “soba sayang” sounds
like a delicious dish but is
a peace offering given as a token of friendship
in the remote Eastern Indonesian’ island of Lembata
a region on the boundary between
Austronesian and Papuan languages
“Dame” is also peace and tranquility in Kupang Malay
spoken in West Timor Austronesia
where we spy sun “matahari”
and the causative “bekin dame”
make peace or resolve
in this Malay mix of Dutch Portuguese
and local languages
only slightly different from “damai”
in the Malay spoken
in Malaysia Brunei and Singapore
Originally published in The Year of The Poet (Vol 55) at http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php on July 1, 2018.
