word carvers i

some get away
with murder and
in-your-face lies
with bewildering
machiavellian charm

fiqdaan

sub aik haiN
hum sub aik haiN
phir yeh aahni hisaar
kaisa hay

nazrouN ki umang
dilouN ki qurbat
ishtiaque ki inteha
aur ghar'z ki faseel

aur woh muskurahat
jo majmay maiN bhee
marqooz hay ik nuktay per

kaisa hay woh khoon
safaid na surkh
doRta hay na behta hay

fiqdaan iv

kaisa hay woh khoon
safaid na surkh
doRta hay na behta hay

fiqdaan iii

aur woh muskurahat
jo majmay maiN bhee
marqooz hay ik nuktay per

fiqdaan ii

nazrouN ki umang
dilouN ki qurbat
ishtiaque ki inteha
aur ghar'z ki faseel

fiqdaan i

sub aik haiN
hum sub aik haiN
phir yeh aahni hisaar
kaisa hay 

lost

under the stars 
they danced
with different partners
slyly exchanging 
apprehensive glances

ab aeterno* rictus **

perched on the crest
neck extended, the hawk 
scanned the ground

wheels - 2,3,4,18
men and animals 
vying for the tarmac

pathos aplenty
pickings slim 
for the bird of prey

in that dissonance
of diesel's  whining
exhortative blares 
vendor's symphonies
pauper's piteous pleas 
children's cackling chatter
coalescing 
into fickle silence

the lava of suspicion
blends with pollution
and plebeian palliation
and flows invisibly

a child with matted hair
runny nose, bloated stomach
stupefied, locks eyes
with the bird
and smiles

_______
ab ae·ter·no   –adverb Latin. from the most remote antiquity.

ric·tus   noun, the gape of the mouth of a bird

karma suffocates

in the fog
of apprehension
it is easy
to lose direction
when awareness returns
karma suffocates

irony -the usual suspects

school zone speeders
jay walkers
lovers - holding hands
(in the wrong country)
black drivers in exotic cars
panhandlers in designer outfits
polite policemen
humble lawyers
respectful khakis
friendly racists
smoking peaceniks
reverential poets
deferential anchors

mindless

mindless 
mis-mis-mis 

foul abramis 
canine anthemis 
apollo's twin artemis 
finns' cheremis 
edible cucumis 
leafy inermis 
nile pyarimis 
rural tamis 
just themis 

and all of above 
hitting the vermis 

faction ii

the stench of pow(d)er of burning bodies of lost souls of drained dreams overwhelms

faction i

it is a new day i smiled as i sensed am breathing but the smile disappeared quickly today the world is not any different

crimson blood

qaatil say kaha khoon tumhara safaid ho chala

a'yaaN hoga raaz
jub waar qaatil per
majnooN karay ga

aabi jung

zar, zun, zameen qissa e paarina hu'aye ab dasht o behar pe Jung hogi aab pe

baarish: not an ode to pakoRas

kuch ab'r ho koi yaar ho kuch mashroob ho pair kya baat hay

in'nal'laha mu'as'sabireen

naee tashrih :peshgi maazrat kay saath saRkaiN gaRhay drivers traffic garmi aur gadhay

train ride

plastic bags strewn over the landscape
objectified inshallahs people throw around
without caution

take me to the hospital

what would the motorcyclist weaving through crazy traffic be messaging with one hand?

weather

this heat this three showers a day humidity will be recalled fondly ensconced by the fireplace at home

at the altar of memory

fickle stealthy strikes unexpectedly in odd places and invariably they ask 'what's the matter with you?'

apathy

the ducts

barren as Rab al Khali tears extinct wails soundless for the victims of takfiri violence #tpoem twitter.com/oil_is_opium/s…

Karachi Feminist @oil_is_opium

Do you feel like crying, just crying so much that this whole thing will disappear? #Quetta

4:30am · 10 Aug 2016 

bliss

chand nehar kinara aur saath t'ra #tpoem pic.twitter.com/dqyjRxR2Za

wohi afratafri

wohi afratafri wohi paraishaanhali mutlashi aankhain aur intezar ki sa'atain her station ki yehi kahani

of smiles

blood congealed trauma faded with a new dawn I dream of smiles to appear and frolick

baarish

abr e rehmat abr e zehmat banti gaee aur hum tahayyur maiN rahay ghota zun

apathy

the ducts barren as Rab al Khali tears extinct wails soundless for the victims of takfiri violence

milap ka gumaan

rawaangi kay saath aamad
aisay juRay haiN
jaisay darya kay saath kinaray

yaasiat

qal'm na kalam 
kay zaroorat hay 
fiq't daar ki ab

majboori draft i

haath ya dil?
haath ho
dil ho
majboori ho
saza dil walON kay
                jis'm ko
dimaagh walOn ki
                rooh ko
taRpati hay

cocoon

physical metaphysical

storms smash
winds whirl   

from past millennia

                   a flicker

                   picked

deluding selves

(we're the chosen ones)

refusing to emerge
from our cocoons

storms smash
winds whirl  

(caveat: not meant to hurt personal sentiments)