it has been said
friendship is like a cocoon
turning caterpillars into butterflies
though it can already be assumed
through the laws of natural sciences
not all share the same destiny and fate
divide et impera between the proletarian and bourgeois silkworms

there are caterpillars
who can grow wings
only at certain times and in specific terroirs
like sprightly upper-middle-class butterflies: off to college, back home, college, home
like caterpillars who secured survival by sheltering near train tracks that had OD’ed on tetanus

: “This is the life of a night-butterfly
Expending all body and soul
Smiling lips, spilling soft seductions
To everyone who comes close”

when Agus and Susan, Hari and Maya, Susi and Antok
evolved from scattered caterpillars
into paired butterflies
from Friendster, to Facebook, to Tinder, then to the wedding aisle

Mirna and Ayu split
the Cap Kupu-Kupu herbal medicine between themselves
their parents never failing to wonder
why two high-school friends have stuck together like stamps
living for years under one roof.

Translator’s Note

In recent years, queer and trans Indonesians have faced unprecedented persecution and violence from both the government and general public. Hendri Yulius Wijaya, the poet of the original work, is one of the rare handful of openly queer writers writing/publishing in Bahasa Indonesia and from Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world. The translator of this work is a fellow openly queer Indonesian. Both are also of Chinese heritage, an ethnic minority in Indonesia that, as a community, has faced discrimination and persecution.

“Cap Kupu-Kupu,” which literally translates to “butterfly brand,” is the name of an Indonesian over-the-counter Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Tay Pin San, to treat stomach issues.

“This is the life of a night-butterfly . . . ” is a translation of lyrics from the Indonesian song “Kupu-Kupu Malam” (1991), performed by Titiek Puspa.

konon katanya
persahabatan ibarat kepompong
mengubah ulat menjadi kupu-kupu
tetapi sudah bisa ditebak
dalam dunia perulatan
tidak semua punya takdir dan nasib serupa
divide et impera antara ulat bulu proletar dan ulat sutra borjuis
 
ada tipe-tipe ulat
bisa menetaskan sayap kupu-kupu
hanya pada waktu dan tempat tertentu saja
seperti kupu-kupu muda kelas menengah atas: kuliah, pulang, kuliah, pulang
seperti ulat yang menyambung nyawa di pinggir rel kereta api yang overdosis tetanus
 
: “Ini hidup wanita si kupu-kupu malam
Bekerja bertaruh seluruh jiwa raga
Bibir senyum kata halus merayu memanja
Kepada setiap mereka yang datang”
 
ketika Agus dan Susan, Hari dan Maya, Susi dan Antok
berevolusi dari ulat yang tercerai-berai
menjadi kupu-kupu yang berpasang-pasangan
dari Friendster, lalu Facebook, lalu Tinder, lalu pelaminan
 
Mirna dan Ayu
berdua berbagi Cap Kupu-Kupu
tiap kali orang tua mempertanyakan
mengapa sepasang sahabat SMA selalu nempel kayak prangko
bertahun-tahun tinggal seatap.