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Thursday, June 30, 2016

abandon

adh umar sa'aya bhee saath choRh daita hay

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

zair e saaya

zair e saaya 

dhoop maiN burgud
khalvat maiN zoolf
baarish maiN chath
aur
is barafzar maiN
oos raigzar ki khaahish
             saayouN maiN
saayouN ki talash

bazzar e zindagi say
mazra e khamoshi
ki daimi joos'tu'joo 
aur maut say zindagi ka 
na khatam honay wala
daira 
             aur joos'tu'joo 
saayay ki

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

discarding dictats

discarding dictats

tu hay fiq't aabla e paa
aur talaash hay mujh ko
samander kay such ki*

lines drawn in mythical sands
- borders,  created and nurtured
by somber CEOs  of Religion Inc.
to police and protect
while their lambs lob grenades
at each other's myths

they come in many guises
and wear colorful garbs
all of them have stern looks
in common

much to the amusement
of gods of yesteryears
we discard sermons
and dictats
and seek newer gods
in time's ocean

* you are but a blister on my foot
while i endeavor and search
for the time-ocean's truth

Monday, June 27, 2016

it'll be all right

it'll be all right
it'll be all right
the storm will subside 
there will be no charge 
from the khakis
or the men in black robes
(they are) all inflected
with the same righteous virus
(they are) all so very concerned
about our welfare
do not disbelieve them
the khakhis, the robes
the talking heads
retired intellectuals
earnest folks
worried about our welfare
it'll be all right
it'll be all right

Sunday, June 26, 2016

The Argumentative Dog

t: How are we today, Nawwab?
N: We?
t: Yes, we.
N: We aren't 'we'...we are different.
t: We aren't.
N: Yes we are.
t: Kaisay?
N: I can call a dog a dog.
t: I can also call a dog a dog.
N: I can call a bitch a bitch.
t: Shall I take you for a walk?
N: We do not subscribe to insaniyat but you do to haivaniyat.
t: You are reinforcing our common heritage. Inside every man there is an animal.
N: Animals do not kill indiscriminately.
t: True.
N: We have no use for after life
t: True.
N: We do not believe in God or go on killing in her name.
t: True.
N: I believe in dog made stuff.
t: Ouch! People of the Book will be alienated.
N: Religions and faiths are dogmatic.
t: Now that is some observation, Nawwab.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

these are not my words

wrinkled sighs, folded dreams, blinded ideals
lips untouched, feelings parched
imagination wingless, words in flight
inadvertent good orphaned
goodness indifferent
belief probing elephant in the dark
delusion and betrayal five armed goddess
with spine of hatred
insouciant hope hibernating 
in black hole of slippery faith
hatred masquerading as ordained wisdom
                                        abnormal the norm
hope waltzing with one armed faith
                                        to the orchestra of hate
assurances of all's well raining from high towers
                                        at ungodly hours
god of all gods smiling somewhere
told you these are not my words

Friday, June 24, 2016

laikin

koh'r e zulmaat say 
ooththi hui ik ma'soom khilkhilahat
aur pus e pardah ik aah 
kisi kar'b e musalsil maiN mubtala 

souchta hooN hijrat 
jo m'ray naseebouN maiN thee
itni buri na thee
phir yeh khayal satata hay
saf e bay hiss maiN 
ger hota maiN shaamil 
aur aasmanoN say bay khab'r
bina per, doosrouN ki tarah 
bay khauf o ehsaas, pervaaz kerta
laikin....

Thursday, June 23, 2016

bijli

deen nahiN bijli hay
jo bila imtiaz
khaas o aam
per girti hay

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

shabistaanoN kay bhaNwar

kuch bijli bhee tarki thee
kuch Olay bhee giray thay
sar e shaam se sehr tlak
yeh silsila chalta raha
kashish main hua afaaqa 
na tishnagi main hui kami
yeh dekh ker oos nay farmaya
kaisii hay yeh tishnagi
hum kiya batlaiN shokh ko
shabistaanoN kay bhaNwar
say najat pa'ain tou jaanaiN

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

what next

if we discover
what we pursued life long
what next


Monday, June 20, 2016

sawal

ger woh jo mil ja'aye
phir kis ki talash 
maiN niklaiN gay hum 

Sunday, June 19, 2016

the volcano ululates

under the skies
below the abyssal ocean floor
behind the veiled smile
beneath the abysmal roots
covered by the october carpet 
of april's distant hopes 
lies embers of cool calm
shattered suddenly
as the volcano ululates

Saturday, June 18, 2016

ramooz e bay khudi

zahid ko bhala kaun batla'aye
asrar o ramooz e bay khudi

sub woh dana jo thay musahib 
shaikh o zahid o brahman kay
chiragh oonka sadiouN say gul hay

haaN karobar e nishat o meh
ruka na rukay ga, gaamzun hay

Friday, June 17, 2016

bad news galore

is there any sense
in sharing feelings
any more?

each day
heralds gross news

based on garnished truth
fermented in hatred
regurgitated in biases
cooked in lies
spun on social media





Thursday, June 16, 2016

river of delusions

we sail
            in the river of delusions
swim
            in the stream of myths
float
            in the sea of revelations
and profess to follow
            path of peace

while all around
            some of us
create divisiveness
            and mayhem
in the name of
            a copyrighted god


Wednesday, June 15, 2016

suspension of disbelief

belief 
suspended

disbelief
suspended

we sail
oarless
armed with 
suspect faith

                         and 
with litle provocation
get agitated

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

poessay: mirage tales ix

the search unyielding
               unending
not infinite
both of us know
it'll end
the goal 
is in the pursuit

Monday, June 13, 2016

poessay: mirage tales viii

miles to go?
miles to go nowhere
each day a new landscape
a new city
              on a hill
              by the sea
              by the lake
              in the desert
miles left behind
miles to go
the search unyielding
              unending



Sunday, June 12, 2016

till we drop

admitting transgressions
                           when 
perfidy meant infidelity
infraction or infarction
related to matters 
                           of the heart
goofing or golfing
living or loving
a cocktail of misgivings
whirling in inspired tales
                            till we drop

Saturday, June 11, 2016

brass plaque

we talked about him
the times we shared
the fun we had
playing chess till late morning

his wife shared disliking 
being labelled widow

the daughter wistfully
said she misses his kindness

the son kept to himself

they gave me the directions
to his resting place
in the vale
surrounded by the BC mountains

m said gentle folks go early
i found it hard
to say i miss you friend

i have never talked
to a brass plaque before

Friday, June 10, 2016

poessay: mirage tales vii

hud - bay hud...

khudi aur
khudi kay kinaray
khud shinasi
                   aur
khud faraibi
taa hud de nazar
                         sarab
ik bhanwar
is 
ya oos 
talatum maiN

Thursday, June 09, 2016

rajasthan

approaching him mid field
she pulled her palloo
across her face
and handed him his lunch
the smile on his face
spelled love
in the mid noon sun

Wednesday, June 08, 2016

persiflage

in silences and pauses
so much can be revealed
how much, she asked
way too much
you are mischievous
believe that at your peril

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

jamhooriyat

kya karaiN
suraj ki roshni
barish ki cheetaiN
barfani hawa
masoom ki muskurahat
kisi ki bakwas
sub per barabar girti 

Monday, June 06, 2016

democracy

thoughts
wayward
sunlight
cascading flurries
raindrops
captivating smile
songs in the wilderness
idle chatter
are so democratic

Sunday, June 05, 2016

blase

it is shutters down late
kiya karaiN?
what to do?
time is no constraint
               anytime
one can 
make love
surf, sleep
               or
               tweet

Saturday, June 04, 2016

fate / waq't ka haseen sitam

fate

once he cajoled
'you're with us
or against us'
today
he walks the dog
                       alone



waq't ka haseen sitam

kal 
kahaaN woh shahana khitab
aur aaj
gumnami ka ik aur musafir

Friday, June 03, 2016

syncretic regurgitating.

priorities
ever so fickle
change with food
                       for thought
or 
                       in the stomach

Thursday, June 02, 2016

the frown

honesty is best
you agree

am perplexed
at your frown
when i replied
to your query
'how do i look?

Wednesday, June 01, 2016

from turkey to cow to lamb

rituals
are an excuse
if truth be told
men would have us
dead