Staying Afloat

words are frivolous

silence is stifling

conversations void

letting go is a skill

holding on is a reflex

one step in front of the other

an inch on the seams 

one more knot to tie two ends

of being and becoming

of holding on and letting go

of chatter and quiet

of solitude and being alone

of knowing and realization

mechanism well rehearsed

propel the ship onwards

braving the wayward 

waves,

saves

what cannot be destroyed

yet deceives

and the deception wins

the knot tightens

and between the two shores

the ship ambles

but stays afloat

THE WAY I SEE IT

 

The way I see it -

And you don’t,

Fills the void, between our words

for me, it reverberates,

- the sound of each syllable, echoing

  till I see it walking up, 

  step by step,

  towards memory.

The way I see it -

And you don’t,

- Is the trick of the mirror

  that shows you what others see

  hiding in plain sight

 the self , the soul

 that has learnt the trapeze

 of hanging in balance,

 One tiny step 

 from the eternal fall.

The way I see it -

And, you don’t

Makes us who we are.

Two complete beings -

connected yet free.

The rainbow unfolds

with color of thoughts,

no white, 

no black 

or gray in between,

Our vision is colored

not homogenous 

or of one hue -

for it is me and you

that make up the we.

 

Legacy of a Wandering Soul

the dry bed of a river is fertile,
lush green foliage spread unbridled,
while the stream changes its course,
flowing with passion
or trickling listlessly,
yearning for the wet touch of rain.
It weaves its way
towards the heaving breast
of an ocean,
that drowns
the unrequited love of
many a rivers,
turning their sweet longing
to coarse salt on drifting sand,
the sand that bears
my footprints -
the ephemeral legacy
of a wandering soul.

Giving Birth to Poetry

Some days,
you know
the words won’t come,
Yet, you scribble
and strike through-
and scribble some more.
As if,
the sheer persistence,
the repeated carving
of ink on paper
will birth a miracle.
As if,
a poem will be born
of restless pursuit
of an illusion.
As if,
the verse will flow,
where words run dry.

Itihas dohrata kyun hai

Jo kisi ne kaha sadiyon pehle
Woh aaj bhi kyun sach lagta hai
Us waqt baha azdad ka khoon
Ab nasl-e-nau ka behta hai
Sadiyan beeteein per duniya shayad
Raati bhar ko bhi badal na saki
Siyasi chira dasti se
Ek baar bhi toh sambhal na saki
Kisne kaha, yeh aage badhi
Yeh to bas rengti rehti hai
Ek aag ke gole se bandh kar
sadiyon se ghumti rehti hai
Yeh aag ka gola siyasat hai
Yeh aag ka gola mazhab bhi hai
Yeh aag ka gola dharti ko
Ek din shayad nigal hi jaye
Us din shayad sadiyon ka yeh
Khooni kissa khatm ho paye

Bekhayali

tanhai meri mujhko akela nahi karti
teri tarah yeh mujhse khela nahi karti
main khud hi apne khwab se jag jati hoon aksar
chandani chamakti hai, savera nahi karti

Monalisa

                                 1.

Muskurahat ke pare dekha nahi Tumne

Ek biyabaan hai jo aksar pas-e-manzar nahi hota

                                2.

Tumne bhi wahi dekha jo humne dikhaya

kyunkar ek tasveer mein ulajh ke reh gaye

Deewar samne thi, aur qaid thi hasi

Aur tum ise shahkar samajhte reh gaye

Shor

Badi mushkil se milta hai hum khayal koi,
Sab ek jaise hain, mujh jaisa yahan koi nahi
Maine ek baat kahi thhi magar yun shor uttha
Gungein is shahar mein bezaban koi nahi

Adhoori Nazm

Maine socha tha ek nazm likhoongi tujhko

Lufz phirte rahe,
Qaafiya milta hi nahi

Too ne toh ek nazar mein kah diye
Afsaane kai

Hum bas chunte rahe harf - e -
wazan baitha hi nahi.

Regale in Present

postponing an impulse for tomorrow
letting the day go by, without a trace
cloaked in the past, addressing the future
why let the moment slip from our embrace?
I have burnt the past
and have no vision for the future
what i did has gone stale
in present i regale
my wealth is the breath I take
on a sea shore i live in a sand castle i make.

Lockdown

Pehle hafton hafton na laut_te thhe
Ab to hafton se ghar per hi ho
Pehle bhi thi ek chai ki pyali
Baramde mein mez per rakhi
Ab bhi wahi manzar hai yahan pe
bas chai zara thandi si ho gayi hai..

Manuhar

Roothne wale hum manane ka hunar bhool gaye
Tum ko aana hai to koi aur bahane dhoondo

Kafia aur radif

Lufzon se choo ke aariz ko tere
Jana Maine, rukhsar nam hai
Teri wafa se radif mila loon
meri nazam ka wazan kuch kam hai

Fasle

Nap taul ke kahi jo tumne
Ghazal hui per thhi baat adhoori
Chalo kuch keh do bas ek nazar se
Lufz darmiyan ho to rehti hai doori

Beghar Laute Apne Gaon

Beghar laute apne gaon
Na gadi, motor na chhaon
Ghavon se bas riste paaon
Beghar laute apne gaon

Is mahamari ke daur mein
Sab apne gharon mein band
Makhmal odh unghte baithe
Bahar taat ka yeh paiband
Badi badi bisaat bichchi hain
in pyadon ne haare daaon
Beghar laute apne gaon

Shahron ki pakki sadkon pe
Kachche ghar the, toot gaye
Din, dihadi sab kho daali
Sahukar sab loot gaye
Ab toote gharon ke tinke
Saath batore, dhoonde chhaon
Beghar laute apne gaon

Phir Chaal Chalo Tum

Shatranj ki bisat bichi thhi
Kitne pyade, haathi ghode maare maine
Ek wazir tumhara lekin
Shah aur maat ke beech khada thha
Aur kuch pyade bache thhe,
Mar mitne ko tayyar thhe saare.
Woh bazi lambi khinchi thhi
Main shah deta
Lekin tumhari maat na hoti...
Phir achanak
Ek tukda aasman ka nocha 
Aur baazi mar ke mujhse
Kaynat mein tumne
ek aur sitara roshan kar diya!
Main baitha hoon ab bhi
Sooni si bisaat bichaye
Ab asman se dekhte ho to
Mujhko shah do, maat do mujhko,
Phir chaal chalo tum...

Migrant Labourer

मिट चली हैं लकीरें मेरी हथेली से
अपनी तक़दीर से आज़ाद हो चला हूँ मैं
खूं जम गया है पेशानी पे पसीने की जगह
अपने हुनर का खुद शाहकार बन चला हूँ मैं

चाँद सिकों पे बिकता था कभी बाज़ारों में
अब मेरी भूख सियसत के दहकन भरती है
मेरे ज़ख़्मों को दुनिया पे नुमाया कर के
मेरे खैरख़्वाहों की तिजोरियाँ भारती है
मेरी तस्वीर यूँ हर ओर लगाई जाती है
जैसे नुमाइश का सामान बन चला हूँ मैं
अपने हुनर का खुद शाहकार बन चला हूँ मैं 

Yadein

Har ek din jo guzar chuka thha
har ek pal uska yaad aaya
woh ek sakit thha pul nadi pe
lehrata lehron pe apna saya...
woh nadi ka pani,
samamder mein mil ke
ab kaisa kosa sa ho gaya hai!
kabhi jo meetha sa bulbula tha,
samay ke banzar mein kho gaya hai.
woh bheegi yaadien phir aaj meri
ankhein purnam si kar gayi hain
jo jhar chali si thhi shakh uske
patton pe shabnam si rakh gayi hai…

Kasturi

Teri Khushboo se Mehak rahi hoon main
Tu mrig trishna bhi hai, aur kasturi bhi
Tu mujh mein basta hai lekin mere paas nahi
Dekh qurbat bhi hai our beinteha doori bhi

Mazdoori aur majboori

Shahenshaon ne shahrahon mein munadi kar di
Reshmi paerhan na ho to idhar se na aae koi
Rail ki patri per aa kar yun soye thhe garib
Bhookh ki aag mein zinda na jalaye koi
Main aur maiy ke talatum mein dhanse jate hai
Kahin se aaina laye, inhe dikhaye koi

An Ode to Manto. Janab Manto Ke Naam...

sach ka dayra chota ho gaya hai, 

main, mera mazhab, meri jamat, mera mohalla, mera ghar

Aur iske pare -  

Tum, tumhara mazhab, tumhari jamat, tumhara mohalla, tumhara ghar 

main apne gharon ke seeshon ke aage 

takhtiyan laga kar 

ek dhela uthata hoon, 

tum apni deewaron ki dararon se 

teer chalate ho  

sang takrate hain 

tilak aur topi se, 

teer bindhte hain use 

jo sar utha ke chalta hai 

mera sach 

mere angan mein simat jata hai, 

tumhara sach 

deewaron se jhantka tak nahi

koi munsib bhi bhala kaise faisla de de, 

aankhein moonde woh padle ka wajan tolta hai... 

kabhi mera pathhar bhari padta hai, 

kabhi tumhara tarkash 

aur sach 

andhe kuen mein kood ke mar jata hai

Come, Find Me

Chasing the fading rays of a setting sun
I have wandered in search of a bright star.
Shrouded in mist, moist to the feet
the path, that wasn’t quite there
intrigued, beckoned,
lured me to go on.
The shadows grew longer
of the stunted self,
the more I searched
the more I lost sight
of what I couldn’t see.
I waited to decipher
the hidden note
in every sound
around the buzz;
opened empty letters
addressed to none
staring at the formless
with eyes, not sight.
Breath becomes a sigh
I exhale exhaustion
Put my feet up.
I, now, withdraw
from this aimless chase.
I pause
and wait
Come on,
It’s your turn now...
my poem.
Seek me out
of the idle mind
sing out aloud
through me.
See...
I am waiting
for your return.

Being Judgemental

Standing in the shade

with lengthening shadows

I see surfers

soaring with the tides

Couples

walking hand in hand

on wet sand,

Kids

building castle

Bandanas- bright green, orange, red..

myriad hues and colors

fluttering threateningly,

almost flying off

the small brown hands

offering them to every passerby.

Everyone is living their day,

as destined

or, designed.

Do they grudge my shade?

Or is it me

carrying the guilt

of my own idleness?

Kagaz ki bisaat

Baitha hai jo kohre mein lipat kar
Beghar se ghar ka pata poochte ho
Mala mein goonthe, chadar mein taanke
Phoolon se unki kaba poochte hai
Chand kagzon pe mohar laga kar
Meri watan se wafa tolte ho
Kaun ho tum, tumhari hasti hi kya hai
Kyun itna tum bewajah bolte ho
Itrate phirte ho tum jiske dam per
Mud jayegi woh lahar dekh lena
Jo aaj mujh per tum dha rahe ho
Lautega tum pe kahar dekh Lena.. 

Bol Gar Lab Azad Hain Tere...

Bol gar lab azad hain tere,
keh jo zabaan ab tak teri hai...
Ab bhi na kaha
to Dafn ho jayenge hum
jinda kabr mein
Aur hamari nasl e nau
is goongi maut ka
matam bhi na manayegi
Ab bhi chup rahe
to khoon barf sa jam jayega
Nabz ruk jayegi
aur saans ghut jayegi
Ab to bolo ke
hadd toot chuki hai sari
Hukramon ki faseelon se
kahar hai jaari
Khoon behta hai sadak per
Paaon fisalte hain
Jin hathon mein kalam thhi
Unme Sang dikhte hain
Ab to cheekho
ke behri saltanat sun le
Ab to cheekho ke
khoon ki siyasat dole
Chup rehna ab gaddari hai
Bol jo tujhme khuddari hai
Bol gar zabaan ab tak teri hai