Woman Who Calms the Longing

“I don’t believe people who like to show off their happy family..” is the string of words that opens a poem entitled “The Happiest Family Portrait”. “I don’t have family portrait,” said M. Aan Mansyur, the poet writer during the launching of his poem book ‘Melihat Api Bekerja’ (‘Looking at the Fire in Action) at Edwin’s Gallery, Kemang, South Jakarta, just recently. The book is a compilation of 54 poems written by M. Aan Mansyur and 60 illustrations by painter Muhammad Taufiq a.k.a. Emte. Interestingly, both artists have just met in the launching. They had compiled the book through internet communication.