Page 188 - 60/20

COMMEMORATING THE 60/20 ANNIVERSARY 188
PART 2 “A relationship between Indonesia
and a superpower like the United
States is very important and should
be maintained. The relationship will
provide options that can be very
valuable for us in managing a variety
of cultural, social, and political issues.
We should not feel oppressed by
anyone, but rather should be ready to
take everything that is beneficial to
us – as long as we do not just accept
without the intelligence and courage
to choose. This can only happen if the
exchange of intellectuals takes place
as it should.”
Although Sapardi did not study a
long time in America, quite a lot of
his writings, both poetry and short
stories, were inspired from his time
there. One of his acclaimed poems
is about a pair of shoes he bought
in Chinatown in San Francisco. He
thought that the shoes would be as
strong as those made in Cibaduyut,
which when loved can be worn for
decades.
A scholar of the poetry of the
American-English poet T.S. Eliot,
he is known as an artist and an
intellectual. With regard to student
exchange programs, Sapardi suggests
that they could be expanded. “It
would be preferable for us to examine
and learn everything related to that
which we cannot get here. Likewise, it
would be good for American students
to learn about everything that it is not
possible to discover in their country.”
1970 - 1971, University of Hawaii; Humanities. 1970 - 1971, Universitas Hawaii; Ilmu Humaniora.
“Mengenai hubungan Indonesia dengan
negeri adikuasa seperti Amerika
Serikat sangat penting dan harus dijaga
terus kelangsungannya. Hubungan
itu akan memberikan pilihan-pilihan
yang bisa sangat berharga bagi kita
untuk mengelola berbagai masalah
budaya, sosial, dan politik. Kita tidak
usah merasa terjajah oleh siapa pun,
tetapi justru harus siap mengambil
segala sesuatu yang bermanfaat bagi
kita – asal tidak sekadar menerima saja
tanpa kecerdasan dan keberanian untuk
memilihnya. Ini hanya bisa berlangsung
kalau pertukaran kaum intelektual
berlangsung semestinya.”
Meskipun Sapardi tidak lama belajar di
Amerika, cukup banyak tulisannya, baik
puisi maupun cerita pendek yang lahir
dengan inspirasi dari sana. Salah satu
karyanya yang terkenal adalah tentang
sepasang sepatu yang dibelinya di
Chinatown di San Francisco. Sepatu itu
dianggapnya sama kuat dengan sepatu
buatan Cibaduyut yang bila disayangi
bisa dipakai sampai puluhan tahun.
Peneliti sajak-sajak penyair Amerika-
Inggris T.S. Eliot ini dikenal sebagai
seniman dan cendekiawan yang
sederhana. Mengenai program
pertukaran mahasiswa, Sapardi berpesan
harus ditingkatkan. “Kita sebaiknya
meneliti dan mempelajari segala sesuatu
yang berkaitan hal-hal yang tidak bisa
kita dapatkan di sini. Demikian juga
mahasiswa Amerika sebaiknya belajar
tentang segala sesuatu yang tidak
mungkin didapatkan di negerinya.”