judeo christian wandering clouds

entrenched myths
dust to dust
ashes to ashes
ignores water

of the body
most is fluid

that weeps
transudes
evaporates
flows away

khaak say khaak tuk

khaak say khaak tuk

(science kehti hay
57-60% paani haiN hum)

mush't e khaak
khaaki, moulvi, fauji
khaak say aisi
wariftagi e junoon
b'ajooz is am'r kay
sub fanaa ho jaiNgay
khaak ho jaiNgay
paani paani 
ho jaiNgay

kya kiji'aye a'na ka
bila tafriq jo humaiN
mazeed pastiouN ki rah per
rakhti hay gaamzun 

a child asks

He who is kind and merciful
does He ever cry when they 
invoke His name when they kill

ik bachchay ka sawal

woh jo rehman o rahim hay
apnay naam per halakat say 
kya kabhi rota bhee hay

phir choop yeh kaisi?

kehna hay aasan 

pyar phelao

nafrat hatao

keh sakhtay ho yeh

janubi sudan 

kay mazloomON say

phir choop yeh kaisi

* * *

keh sakhtay ho yeh

tharparkar kay 

faaqa zadon say

phir choop yeh kaisi

* * *

keh sakhtay ho yeh

damishq o bagdad

kay shehrioun say

phir choop yeh kaisi

* * *

keh sakhtay ho yeh

tripoli, benghazi

kay khandanON say

phir choop yeh kaisi

* * *

keh sakhtay ho yeh

pakistan maiN

ahmedi, hindu

eesai logoN say

phir choop yeh kaisi

* * *

keh sakhtay ho yeh

falastiniouN say

kashmiriouN say

rohingiyON say

phir choop yeh kaisi

* * *

keh sakhtay ho yeh

apni nazrouN maiN

nazaraiN mila ker

phir choop yeh kaisi

kehna hay aasan vii

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat haTao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
apni nazrouN maiN
nazarain mila ker
phir choop kaisi yeh

gustakh e rasool

sud afsos
kay yeh poochnay per
kay jur'm kaunsa akbar hay
gustakhee e rasool
ya 
gustakhee e allah
sur ooska
tun say juda kardiya
khood sakhta mominoon nay

kehna hay aasan vi

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat hatao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
falastiniouN say
kashmiriouN say
rohingiyON say
phir choop kaisi yeh

kehna hay aasan v

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat hatao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
pakistan maiN
ahmedi, hindu
eesai logoN say
phir choop kaisi yeh

kehna hay aasan iv

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat haTao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
tripoli, benghazi
kay khandanON say
phir choop kaisi yeh

ik chothi gusta'khi

"By paying tribute to the men and women whose only instrument is free speech, who imagine and act, UNESCO recognizes in poetry its value as a symbol of the human spirit’s creativity. By giving form and words to that which has none – such as the unfathomable beauty that surrounds us, the immense suffering and misery of the world – poetry contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness."  

World Poetry Day21 March

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

ik chothi gusta'khi

likhna buhat kuch hay
laikin 'love' 'thee' aur 'thou'
kay hisaar say bachna
ger na mumkin nahiN 
tou mushkil hay buhat

kahooN kya jaan e munn
jo na likh diya ho
rumi o firdousi
beydil o kabir nay
ghalib, mir, browning
aur shakespeare, jon nay

mausamON kay her rung
zindagi kay za'viyay
ishq e haqeeqi ho 
ya majaazi yeh sub
baeed e dastras
nahiN oon kay qal'm say 

ger ijazat ho tou
maiN bhee qal'm-bund kardooN
tri woh muskurahat
tra woh her lamha saath
jo zindagi maiN mri
srif tum laee ho
srif tum laee ho

kehna hay aasan iii

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat hatao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
damishq o bagdad
kay shehrioun say
phir choop kaisi yeh

kehna hay aasan ii

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat hatao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
tharparkar kay 
faaqa zadon say
phir choop kaisi yeh

kehna hay aasan i

kehna hay aasan 
pyar phelao
nafrat hatao

keh sakhtay ho yeh
janubi sudan 
kay mazloomON say
phir choop kaisi yeh

woh dar'd hee kya jo...

woh dar'd hee kya jo...

physical pain
melts away
mental 
lingers
hibernates
surfaces
to hurt
again
and ...

aa'ga'hi

aa'ga'hi

yeh mut poocho
kub ma'aloom hu'a
ab'roo oonki
tattoo shuda haiN

ask me not
when or how
discovered i
her eyebrows 
were tattooed

time and tide

time and tide

sa'ataiN
taa'qoob maiN
saaqit musafir
tazabzoob maiN

seconds chasing
(each other)
traveller 
still and
perplexed

ilzaam

ilzaam

hum jahaaN thay
waheeN haiN
zamana hay
jo badal gaya

accusation

changed?
not us
time has changed
passed us by

paas rakhi pyali ii

paas rakhi pyali ii

kehnay lagi pyali
ger amaaN paooN

labON say lagay ker
izhar e pyar ka baad

baRi bay rukhi say
nazar andaaz kerna

tumhara shewa hay 
ruswaee hoti hay
ish'q o mohabbat ki

paas rakhi pyali i

paas rakhi pyali i

pass rakhi pyali
jo kabhi garam thee

jis ki talab o chah
shiddat say thee kabhi

ab sar'd ho chali hay
jaisay oon ka pyar

silent smile

silent smile
god's gift
deflects diatribes
to the chagrin
of imbeciles

zair e lub muskurahat
hazar ahmaqON ka
bay misaal jawab

fly on the wall

fly on the wall

the cactus
said 
to the rose...

the rose
signalled the thorn
to respond

not a (w)rap iii

not a (w)rap iii

wrap a hatred
you'll burn

wrap your scorn
to discard 

wrap your discomfort
it will disappear

not-so-happy women's day

not-so-happy women's day

the mother said
sloganeering
is drain water

wishful annual yen

keep your platitudes
let it ferment
be demonstrable

equality
respect
emanates from heart
when backed by law
i'd accept your wishes

not a (w)rap ii

not a (w)rap ii


wrap a feeling
not tightly
or it will suffocate
wrap a feeling
with feelings
the warmth will linger

not a (w)rap i

not a (w)rap i

wrap an idea
it explodes

wrap a wound
it heals

wrap me
time ceases

sailab

words
that vexed
were annoyingly elusive
cascade
as the muse strikes

woh muskurahat
woh lu'ms
woh me'hak
kaghaz per
khood b khood
ooter aati hay

youN tri yaad
phir her soo' 
bikharnay ka liyay
'in vacant & in pensive mood'
khalish aur ka'suk ko
zinda wo jawaid kerti hay

catalyst for this:

@FShirin

شہرِ سخن دلگیر بہت تھا حرفِ طلب نہ حرفِ دعا

 کون کہاں بچھڑا تھا کس سے، الجھے تھے افکار بہت

Thanks 🙏🏻 One needs quite a bit of فرزانگی amidst دیوانگی to be able to write and create.

rush'q

rush'q aata hay
oon hazraat per
jo jeetay ji
oodher ka haal
mazay laiker
bayaan kertay haiN

barriers

                  barriers
around 
individuals
clans
countries
ethnicities
denominations
religions

suffocate
and in the end
we pass out
life lived
but not lived

hisar

hisar

fard kay gir'd
biradari kay gir'd
mulk kay gir'd
mazhab kay gir'd
deen kay gir'd
aur aakhir maiN
yeh peer e tasma pa
tauq e gardun hu'a
aur kaam youN
tamam hu'a

omnia vincit amor nos et cedamus amori*

omnia vincit amor nos et cedamus amori*

build walls
bring down walls
build bridges
destroy bridges
our cherished history
also proclaims
omnia vincit amor
nos et cedamus amori

*love conquers all: let's succumb to love