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After I was no longer the organizer of the election, I returned to focus on writing like before. Write anywhere and whatever, and try to produce good writing, added value to the reader, although not always successful.

Since being active in Steemit on May 2017, I often post poems and short stories. In addition to Steemit, poetry, short stories and opinions are also sent to various print and electronic media. Some are loaded, some are not.

I have experienced it hundreds of times since diligently sending works since 1989 or during school at STM Negeri Bireuen. Because frequency is rejected, I don't feel disappointed anymore, but always correct myself why a text is accepted and why others don't. In addition to sending the manuscript to various media, I also began to actively monitor the development and discussion of literature in various forums, in the middle of the teaching schedule at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Malikussaleh University.

There are several literary events that exist, such as Borobudur Writer and Culture Festival in Yogyakarta. I sent a registration to the meeting. Likewise with several agendas for publishing joint poetry collections in various regions with various themes.

At Borobudur Writer and Culture Festival which takes place on the 21st - 25th of November, I have received confirmation from the committee that I was elected.

In addition, there was confirmation from the committee that my two poems were also selected at the 2018 Mount Bintan International Literature Festival. The festival requires poets to send poems about the traces of Hang Tuah. Poems from prospective participants came from hundreds of poets in Indonesia and allied countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. There are 131 poets invited.

I am honored to be chosen with other great poets. Three poets who became curators at the 2018 Gunung Bintan International Literature Festival were Sutarji Calzoum Bachri, Rida K Liamsi, and Hasan Aspahani. Especially from Aceh, there are senior LK poets Ara, Salman Yoga S, and Mahdi Idris.

In addition to the four of us, there were also Pilo Polly and Mustafa Ismail, two poets from Aceh who now reside in Jakarta. I went back to the path that was my passion all along, namely the literary path. However, this is not a business path. But the intellectual path requires investment in long-term thoughts and feelings.[]

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http://tanjungpinangpos.id/127-nama-penyair-di-festival-sastra-internasional-gunung-bintan/

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Kembali ke Jalur Sastra

Setelah tidak lagi menjadi penyelenggara Pemilu, saya kembali fokus menulis seperti dulu. Menulis di mana saja dan apa saja, dan berusaha menghasilkan tulisan yang baik, bernilai tambah bagi pembaca, meski tidak selamanya berhasil.

Sejak aktif di Steemit pada Mai 2017, saya sering memposting puisi dan cerpen. Selain ke Steemit, puisi, cerpen, dan opini juga saya ke kirim ke berbagai media cetak dan elektronik. Ada yang dimuat, ada juga yang tidak. Itu sudah saya alami ratusan kali sejak rajin mengirim karya sejak 1989 atau semasa sekolah di STM Negeri Bireuen. Karena keseringan ditolak, saya sudah tidak merasa kecewa lagi, tetapi selalu mengoreksi diri mengapa sebuah naskah diterima dan mengapa yang lainnya tidak.

Selain mengirim naskah ke berbagai media, saya juga mulai aktif lagi memantau perkembangan dan diskusi sastra di berbagai forum, di tengah jadwal mengajar di Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis Universitas Malikussaleh.

Ada beberapa event sastra yang digelar, seperti Borobudur Writer and Culture Festival di Yogyakarta. Saya mengirim pendaftaran ke pertemuan tersebut. Demikian juga dengan beberapa agenda penerbitan kumpulan puisi bersama di berbagai daerah dengan berbagai tema.

Di Borobudur Writer and Culture Festival yang berlangsung pada 21 - 25 November mendatang, saya sudah mendapatkan konfirmasi dari panitia bahwa saya terpilih. Selain itu, sudah ada konfirmasi dari panitia bahwa dua puisi saya juga terpilih dalam Festival Sastra Internasional Gunung Bintan 2018. Festival itu mengharuskan penyair mengirim puisi tentang jejak Hang Tuah.

Puisi kiriman calon peserta datang dari ratusan penyair di Indonesia dan negeri serumpun seperti Malaysia, Singapora, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, dan Kamboja. Ada 131 penyair yang diundang. Saya merasa terhormat terpilih bersama penyair hebat lainnya. Tiga penyair yang menjadi kurator dalam Festival Sastra Internasional Gunung Bintan 2018 adalah Sutarji Calzoum Bachri, Rida K Liamsi, dan Hasan Aspahani.

Khusus dari Aceh, ada penyair senior LK Ara, Salman Yoga S, dan Mahdi Idris. Selain kami berempat, ada juga Pili Polly dan Mustafa Ismail, dua penyair asal Aceh yang kini bermukim di Jakarta.

Saya kembali ke jalur yang merupakan passion saya selama ini, yakni jalur sastra. Namun, ini bukan jalur bisnis. Tetapi jalur intelektual yang membutuhkan investasi pikiran dan perasaan jangka panjang.[]

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