"For Coin" (a Poem by Agus Samboja for Prita Mulyasari)

(translated by: Max Lane)

to uphold the law,
so it seems
needs hundreds and hundreds of millions.

to seek justice,
so it seems, is exhausting
and needs hundreds and hundreds of millions .

but the people’s eyes are open to the law
not needing the judges gravel to strike the bench.
they know
who is in the right,
who it is that needs
hundreds and hundreds of millions.

“o.k. then”
spoke the street side vendors
and the common people know
that the goddess of justice has no shame
not only holding tight the sword
but she is familiar too
with the hundreds and hundreds of millions

coins are gathered together
small change collected
the common people
the common victims of corrupt courts
bah!

now hundreds and hundreds of millions
of small change coins are there, ready
to be thrown in the face of the judges


Argo Lawu, Yogya-Jakarta, 10 Desember 2009
Asep Sambodja