Jakarta, IO – Indonesia has lost one of its poets, Joko “Jokpin” Pinurbo, who died on Saturday (27/4). He breathed his last breath at the age of 61 at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta.
During hisk life, Joko was known for his distinctive style that characterizes his poems. The words and sentences used by Jokpin always feel lively, simple and easy to digest.
Joko had possessed skills in unlocking the power of words since he was in high school. This enabled him to win a number of prestigious awards, including the South East Asian (SEA) Write Award in 2014 and the Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa in 2005 and 2007, per Detikcom, Mon (29/4).
Joko was born in Sukabumi, West Java on May 11, 1962. His works often drew inspiration from social issues, such as the life of scavengers, street kids, pedicab drivers, and security guards on nightwatch.
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He was a prolific writer, having published poetry collections, short story anthologies, and even novels. His latest work was “Mancis: Jejak Darah”, a collaborative zine between the publishers baNANA and Studio Batu.
One of Joko’s most popular poems is “Doa Malam”, one of the verses read: “Tuhan yang merdu, terimalah kicau burung dalam kepalaku” (loosely translated as “Dear God, please accept the bird calls in my head’. (un)