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Monday, November 30, 2015

mirage

the truth of love-supreme
earth and heaven
existential zenith
experiential nadir 
mired in the the field of vision
real or perceived 
illusions of love-supreme


karishma saaz ha'aye nigha e shauq

Sunday, November 29, 2015

karishma saaz ha'aye nigha e shauq

yeh zamin o falak
bulandiaN  pastiaN
haiN jahaN nazar ki zud maiN
wahaN haiN kahaN
kay haiN yeh sub
karishma saaz ha'aye nigha e shauq
aur bus

Saturday, November 28, 2015

ghota-zun

ghota-zun

yeh mullah ho 
ya woh daakter
yeh anchor ho
ya woh danishwar
khakhi ya noori
khood faraibi maiN
haiN sub ghota-zun

mullahs, ministers
anchors, talking head
legends in their minds
impervious to sense
and sensibility
pour pollution 24/7

Friday, November 27, 2015

chameleonesque day

fair & lovely
hoarse pitches
this black friday

Thursday, November 26, 2015

oh canada

in the dead of the night
when you can hear 
far off whispers
floor boards murmur
see distant stars
i stare intently
at the fire
hear the wood wail
feel the heart burning
with all that blood inside
i think of shoeless migrants
who feel hope 
on a rumbling stomach
and cold aching feet
marvel at their mix
of despair and hope
and the open arm welcome
of my country of adoption

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

gharz

meh say na mulla say hay gharz mujhko
behaktay haiN, behkatay haiN donoN
in donOn say hay nahiN gharz mujhko

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

time

time dies
not

time 
kills

is 
killed

ennui
kills

verse
too

Monday, November 23, 2015

jeeway, jeeway aali


jeeway, jeeway aalijeeway

muskurati hui woh aankhaiN
munfarid woh andaaz e bayaan
woh gonjta hu'a lub o lehja
sadioN goonjtay rahaiNgay
aaliji  naghmay apkay dohay


https://youtu.be/u4TMTP2RR20

Sunday, November 22, 2015

six directions / shish jehat

six directional fog, in mid ocean
your thought is the only companion
enough to keep the boat afloat


shish jehat dhundh
beech samundar maiN
sath ger hay tou t'ra
koi maanay ya na maanay

Saturday, November 21, 2015

wonderlust to wanderlust

wonderlust to wanderlust

dislust
wonderlust
infolust
catalust
wanderlust

(zabardust)

Friday, November 20, 2015

mrs. ashfaq munir's resentment

mrs. ashfaq munir's resentment


8.00 pm

resentment played
on the smooth face of mrs ashfaq munir
like the strobe lights 
on niagara falls at  dusk
as mr. ashfaq munir
wriggled and settled
in his lazy boy


commercial break

during the commercial break
his gaze would wander around the room
the dieffenbachia in the corner
taj mahal on the silk wall carpet
half-filled ashtray
yesterday's news by his feet
and on the side table
luke warm tea
and missus...
missus would pick up the tv guide
during this break and stare intently
at its pages
reading the schedule
like qur'an
sans understanding or intent


routine

since over a score plus two years
monday-friday, 9-5 same routine
wake up, brush, shower, breakfast
pick up brief case, mumble byes and
from the office  at 11 and 3
mandatory phone calls home

on the way back home
occasionally some chores
milk, eggs, laundry
followed by a quiet dinner
reading the evening paper
then nonchalantly inquiring
-how are you
-how was your day
-any news


8.15 pm

after washing his hands
he would sit in his lazy boy
wriggle to a comfortable posture
in front of the tv
but today he sensed mrs. ashfaq munir
appeared more resentful
than past days, months, years

commercial breaks came and went
mr ashfaq munir
ensconced in his easy chair halo
wondered about her resentment

his thought streams
like the search light from the towers
circling the landscape
randomly fell on her face
but her resentment
was not an escaped prisoner
frozen in its glare


10.00 pm

tv viewing ended
they brushed their teeth
exchanged inaudible good-nights
and went to sleep
back to back


_______

(urdu version)

Thursday, November 19, 2015

begum ashfaq munir ki berhami

begum ashfaq munir ki berhami



8.00 pm


berhami
aabshaar e niagra per jhilmilati roshniouN ki maanind
begum ashfaq munir kay shaf'faaf chehray per
chanakti rahi aur janab ashfaq munir
apni aaram-daah kursi maiN dhanstay rahay



saat e waqfa e ishtihaar


dauraan e waqfa
janab ki nighahaiN
kamray ka tawaf kerti haiN
kaunay maiN rakha pouda
deewar per taj mahal
adh bhari khaakdaan
zair e paa baasi khabraiN
aur paas rakhi aah bharti chai ki piyali

aur haaN, begum bhee
jo ishtihar shru hotay hee
tv guide ootha ker
ishtihar kay khatam hona tuk
qur'an ki tarah her laf'z paRtheeN
--hijjay aur ta'laf'fooz d'rust
--ma'anay aur mafhoom na aashna



ma'mool


kuch bees jama dus saal hu'aye haiN
inka wohi ma'mool e roz-murrah
pir-juma gardish e nau-paanch


oothay
naha'aye
naashta kiya
bag sanbhali
aur rukhsat hotay hu'aye
ooper walay say a'maan mangi
kabhi zubani, kabi isharatan
aur dafter say do baar
gyara aur teen bajay
begum say phoni istifsaar....

aur wapsi per
hasb e zaoorat, ya hasb e wa'ada
doodh, anday, laundry
lay ker ghar pohaNchna
khamooshi say khana khana
shaam ka akhbar paRhna
aur ik shaan e bay-niazi say
begum say  poochna
aap theek tou haiN?'
din kaisay guzra?
koi khabar?



8:15 pm


aur phir tv kay samnay
apni pasandida
aramdah kursi per barjaman
laikin aaj begum ashfaq munir
pichlay dinouN, saalouN say
kuch ziyadah hee berhum
nazar aa rahee theeN

waqfay aatay rahay
aur janab ashfaq munir
joos'tu'joo e asbaab e berhumi e begum
maiN rahay ghota-zun

fik'r oonhouN nay
kisi oonchay minar say
nachti huee roshniouN ki maa'nind
idhar oodhar doRRai
laikin afsos, begin ki munjamid berhami ka raaz
koi farari qaidi tou tha nahiN
jo oonki fikri roshnioun ki zudd maiN aajata



10:00 pm


tv prograam kaht'm hu'a
janab  aur begum donoN nay daant maNjhay
aur shub kay khair say guzarnay ki
thaki thaki khaahishouN ka
dabay dabay andaaz maiN kiya izhar
aur peeth say peeth mila ker
lait ga'aye.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

feeble attempts


can regale you with tales
some tall, some short & sweet
time and twitter thwart
my feeble attempts to write


har'j kya hay kehnay ko

kehnay ko tou buhat kuch hay
laikin zamana na twitter
daita hay ijazat hum ko
warna
kehnay ko tou buhat kuch hay

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

har'j kya hay kehnay ko

kehnay ko tou buhat kuch hay
laikin zamana na twitter
daita hay ijazat hum ko
warna
kehnay ko tou buhat kuch hay


Monday, November 16, 2015

akbar allahbadi


yaad aata hay phir akbar ka andaaz e bayaan
woh resham maiN lipta ooska andaaz e bayaan
dheema lehja aur zaire e lub muskurahat
kaRwa such, meetha sherbat, t'ra andaaz e bayaan

(wonder if i should have written zair e moonch instead)

more on akbar allahbadi HERE


Duniya mein hoon duniya ka talabgar nahin hoon Bazar se guzra hoon kharidar nahin hoon #AkbarAllahabadi #birthday pic.twitter.com/AUTX9HpzIZ
duniya mein hun duniya ka talabgar nahin hun baazaar se guzra hun kharidar nahin hun
Embedded image permalink

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Krzysztof Kieslowski turns red

Krzysztof Kieslowski turns red

blood, blood, blood
blue, white, red
clergy, nobility, bourgeoisie
liberty, equality, fraternity
beheading, crushing, stoning
defenders of defunct doctrine
unleash crimson waves
but this tempest too
shall fade, obliviate
time not their cohort
time not their master
blue, white, red
shall prevail

Saturday, November 14, 2015

fear flows with blood

fear flows with blood
veins and arteries
of religion and culture
takes them places

borne of violence
mount to avalanche to sea
to far off countries
fear flows with blood
and colours us red

Friday, November 13, 2015

shaam e ghum: paris friday 13/2015

shaam e ghum
paris friday 13/2015

aaj phir udas hooN maiN
badal ghum kay her soo'

kaisay haiN yeh pagal
darinda sif't jaanwer


the deluded struck
again
frenzied
unabated killing
unending cycle
that knows no love
or border

Thursday, November 12, 2015

zabaan e yaar e ...



kuch aap nay kaha
kuch hum nay suna
is kahee suni maiN
baat baRhti ga'aee
pehlay dost
phir dushman kooday
ajub hay yeh kahaani
zabaan kay sitam ki




zabaan e yaar e ...

we talk, argue, love, hate
acquiesce and stifle
using same words which do not
effectively communicate
then call in therapists
lawyers, soldiers, politicians
to clear misunderstanding
in the same language

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

zabaan e yaar

zabaan e yaar

we talk, argue, love, hate
acquiesce and stifle
using same words which do not
effectively communicate
then call in therapists
lawyers, soldiers, politicians
to clear misunderstanding
in the same language

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

khalkhali

khalkhali*

raat tareek thee
kamra aur baataiN
dhuaNdar

kaha oos nay
tumhi insaaf karo
hum nay kaha bibi
khauf karo
wapis la lo
apnay alfaz ko
kaheeN hum
khalkhali* na bun jaiN

Monday, November 09, 2015

blame

blame

that child
dances to the music
in his head

with time
we have grown deaf
blame the child

Sunday, November 08, 2015

rear view mirror iii: unleashed wistfulness

unleashed wistfulness

that chance encounter
floodgates of memories
by the river green
that electric touch
(electric or electrifying)
wrinkle free innocence
drowned out, stored memories
flowed like lava ash
covering the present

Saturday, November 07, 2015

aansoo/tear drops

to write is to cry in silence ~paul coelho via @FShirin 

aansoo 

jo dil say niklay
na pur-num
na ba-awaaz
fiq't pur-asar
zalzalouN
sunamioN
say zyada
pur-qalam
pur-asar

tear drops

the tears
that flow
nor cry
have power
unimaginable

Friday, November 06, 2015

rear view mirror ii

rear view mirror ii

bar'f pighalta hay
paani behta hay
jawani dhalti hay
aur yeh yaar meray
sadiouN puranay
qissay dohratay
thakhtay nahiN
thakhtay nahiN

Thursday, November 05, 2015

rear view mirror (series)

rear view mirror i

maa'sha'allah

tunnel visionaries
dekhtay peechay haiN
aur bay dhaRak
raiNgtay haiN
aagay ki janib

Wednesday, November 04, 2015

righteous indignation

righteous indignation

earthquake
building collapse
fire in slums
arabs lost
(not them bedouins
billions or trillions)
in government contracts

and talking heads
talk of his arrogance
her dupatta

November 4/2015

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

what do i know? what do you know? what do they know?

what do i know?
what do you know?
what do they know?

present, an obe experience
fog, familial smells, food
modulation and articulation
dazed dance of whirling exclamations
what do i know?
what do you know?
what do they know?

fate, pursued doggedly in the desert by blind bedouins
fate, vain wailings of an uncaring lover
fate, wiles of an overindulgent paramour
mind's perpetual camera
capturing those kodak memories
mortifying melancholic memories
weighed, wrapped and dropped in mid ocean
only to emerge unannounced
to devour happiness, no
to gnaw at absence of sadness
fate, faux concern, inundating, overwhelming
fate, created, manufactured, discovered
what do i know?
what do you know?
what do they know?

Monday, November 02, 2015

kaha oos nay

kaha oos nay choRho 
kya rakha hay in baatON maiN
kyun kureedtay  rehtay hO zakhm-e-dil kO

kaha humnay
kabhi khaul say bahar tou niklo
kabhi kisi aur nazar say bhee
kisi ko dekho
kisi ko samjho

kaheeN aisa na hO
kay aap youN hee ghar'q rahaiN
kisi guzri bahar kay intezaar maiN aur
kaheen woh nazrouN
kay samnay say guzar ja'aye
kaheen woh moq'qa youN hee raigaaaN ja'aye
khizaan hay aaj tO bahaar doo'r nahiN
kabhi tO muskuradO
kay din bahar kay doo'r nahiN 

Sunday, November 01, 2015

yeh wa'ada raha / promise you


yeh wa'ada raha yeh jeet nahiN cancer ki hum ik bar phir milaingay wa'ada raha promise you will meet again cancer's win is fleeting will meet again my amor twitter.com/GoogleStreetAr…