Distances

Abstract Distances is a sequence of four poems that explores the relationship between global geopolitical events, national economic policies, and everyday life in contemporary Indonesia. Through scenes situated in households, fuel stations, schools, and neighborhood gathering spaces, the poems examine how ordinary citizens experience economic uncertainty, rising living costs, and public debates surrounding state expenditures. Drawing on observations of everyday conversations and public discourse, the sequence traces the movement of distant events into intimate spaces of daily calculation, work, consumption, and care. Rather than evaluating specific policies, the poems focus on the human experiences through which political and economic processes become meaningful. By connecting global crises, national governance, and local realities, Distances contributes a poetic ethnographic reflection on how individuals interpret, negotiate, and live within conditions of uncertainty in contemporary society.