I demand change

I demand change

one hundred latrines
mean more to me
than your big mouth
it's not important
who's going to win
we're fed up
with a life like this:
a hassle going to the toilet
a roof that leaks when it rains.
we don't need chants
magic spells
or promises;
a sack of rice
from the masters' food stores
won't wipe out poverty;
sympathy and second-hand clothing donations
are of no help;
we no longer believe in that.
political parties
and the language of their trade
floating so far over our heads
and our problems
will not fill our stomachs.
shut down this silly comedy,
we want to sleep soundly
with our debts paid off,
truly free,
not under pressure.
we're fed up
with a life like this
or to say it more explicitly:
I demand change!

(Translation of Aku Menuntut Perubahan)


English Translations from Bahasa Indonesia by
Richard Curtis


Source:
Menagerie 5: Violence Towards Women, 2003
Lontar Foundation
Url: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL25442228M/Menagerie_5