Joko Pinurbo's Poetry Worship is Now Eternal

"If this is realized, the result will be a poetry book whose price may not be friendly to some readers," wrote Jokpin.

Simply put, he doesn't want his book to be too expensive so that readers will distance themselves from his poetry books. Instead of publishing a thick book, he finally chose 121 poems that he reviewed by rereading, selecting, and editing his past works.

Also read: Joko Pinurbo and Beauty in the Everyday World

Art for art's sake vs art for the market

From this simple thing, it appears that Joko Pinurbo wants to reconcile the two poles of the dichotomy that always "disturb" the world of art, including literature.

The first is art for art's sake, followed by art for the market. In the first pole, an artist in an idealistic sense does not care about anything outside themselves, including the market or readership.

The first adherents of the pole certainly prioritize their "egotism" as a writer, namely creating independently. Whether or not the work will be accepted by the market is not something they need to think about.

On the contrary, in the second pole, art is purely created to fulfill market demand. Therefore, the work is first and foremost created in such a way that it will sell well in the market. This is because this is how those involved in publishing a work can gain maximum profit.

However, Jokpin appears to be discreetly and carefully playing in the midst of these two poles. On one hand, as a writer, Jokpin wants to publish beautiful works that align with his artistic ideals.

On the other hand, he did not forget to consider how readers can access his works. This is where Jokpin's "poetry worship" comes to life.

The willingness to consider readers from all social classes and backgrounds made him think about how his work would be published. Because, in keeping with his simple style of poetry, he might hope that one does not need literary or highly artistic knowledge to be able to enjoy his poem.

Wide readers, without a strong background in literary studies, can still relate to and always yearn for Jokpin's poems, which are rarely wrapped in complex and difficult words.

On the contrary, the beauty of Jokpin's poetry lies in the simplicity of word choices that can be enjoyed in the simplest manner. This is also the "poetry market" pursued by Joko Pinurbo.

Also read: Joko Pinurbo Completes Poetry Worship

Poetry worship

”I was washing the trousers I had worn to strangle my own neck. I'm washing the words with the sweat I save every day. From a distant and quiet room, I wish you a Happy Poetry Service."

That is the complete poem titled "Puasa" written by Joko Pinurbo. At first glance, there are no words that are too complicated so that readers need to open a dictionary or ask an expert of difficult words to enjoy Jokpin's poem.

However, once again, it is in the simplicity of word choices that poetry worship continues to be alive in Joko Pinurbo's works. Meanwhile, people often hear about "adiluhung" literature. A high art that should be intimidating when read, and only certain individuals can enjoy it.

Herein lies the perpetual debate in literature, that a respected work cannot be haphazardly read by just anyone.

Therefore, there is a need for words that perhaps people would have to open a dictionary and find in layered entries. In his worship, Jokpin aims to break exclusivity through the simplicity of words.

However, this does not mean that Jokpin creates trivial works. In his "laku" and contemplation, Jokpin proves that the "nobleness" of a poem is not based on its complicated arrangement of words. On the contrary, profound meaning does not always come from difficult words, but rather from simple words that are imbued with a "spirit" in every choice.

Although simple, in his poetry, Jokpin always invites readers to reflect on the realities of daily life. For example, the fading spirituality of modern humans that Jokpin attempts to touch on through his poem "Prayer of a Busy Person Working 24 Hours a Day on Their Phone".

"Lord, my cell phone was damaged in the earthquake/My contact numbers have all been lost/The only thing left is Your number/God said: and that is the only number you never call/"

In the midst of humanity's immersion in the hustle and bustle of the modern world, the Creator is often forgotten. The thin relationship between humans and their Creator in today's world is not touched upon with preachy sentences or quotes from holy scriptures. Jokpin successfully touches on the issue with simple and humorous sentences that resonate with modern audiences.

For Jokpin, God is not a great figure who is too far out of reach for humans. On the contrary, he tries to invite readers to greet God in a simple way as he writes in his poem "Night Prayer."

”Sweet God/accept the birdsong in my head”

Also read: Joko Pinurbo dies, Indonesia loses its best poet

Towards eternity

Saturday (27/4/2024) morning, Joko Pinurbo died at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta. He closed his eyes in "Jogja in a Khong Guan Can". "Jogja is/a feeling of longing/and nervousness/which always appears/in a can of Khong Guan/without kulo nuwun/ and thank you nuwun."

Jokpin was buried on Sunday (April 28, 2024), precisely on National Poetry Day commemorating Chairil Anwar. Jokpin passed away at a fitting time to complete his poetry worship in the world.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer once said, "Writing is working towards eternity." Jokpin may have gone, but his simple and beautiful poems are heading towards eternity. (LITBANG KOMPAS)

Also read: Joko Pinurbo's poems