crime

crime

wrist

boutonniere

garland

grave

shrine

ask the gardener

about the flower's crime?

qusoor

qusoor

kalaii

haar

sehra

qabar

mazar

baaghbaaN say poucho

gulouN ka kya qusoor

aadha such

aadha such

kal ka kisay pata hay

'kullo nafsan...' waqaee!

hum bhool ga'aye

mustaqil ka rishta

maazi aur haal say 

hay paywasta

hum jo ahl e eemaN 

banay phirtay haiN

maazi ko bhula ker

haal kay regzaar maiN

haiN youN ghota-zun 

kay mustaqbil ka 

souchtay hee nahiN

and how we pay

and how we pay

darwin's 'selection' - us

your selection - me

my selection - you

selector's selection - oh well

and we pay 

and how we pay

cliche cubrastan ii

 cliche cubrastan ii  

when pigs fly

when the fat lady sings
ugly as sin

all is fair in love and war, or NOT

and finally, as the bard said

to be or not to be
or better still

ghabrana naeeee

cliche cubrastan i

cliche cubrastan i

when all is said and done

in the final analysis

at the end of the day

when the tire hits the tar

ghabrana naeeee

sleepless

sleepless

maiN poochta hooN khaabouN say

kahaan ghayab ho ga'aye 

arsh say awaaz aati hay
kya tumhaiN pata nahiN

sona shart e awwal hay

you know the country ii

you know the country ii

and here in the north

being muslim

am castigated

not for colour or caste

but for the actions of 

some misguided mad men

you know the country i

you know the country i

i come from a land

once pure, yes, once pure

over the years

things have decayed
so much that you can

examine the lord

but not the overlord

a blessing?

a blessing?

there is no moment for regret

there is no time to reminisce

when no one can hurt you

are you in a shangri la

or a victim of alzheimer?

lynched dreams

lynched dreams

suspended

in the air

lynched dreams

still fearful

of the winds

larzaan khwaab

larzaan khwaab

mu'al'luq

fiza'ouN maiN

lehratay khwaab

ab bhee

aan'dhi'oun say

haiN lar'zaaN

misty eyes

misty eyes

jesus's (pbuh)
for we are still being nailed
muhammed's (pbuh)
for we have ignored the last sermon
imam hussain's 
for we face karbala day and night
jinnah's
for this truncated real estate...

pur num aankhaiN

pur num aankhaiN

eesa (saw) ki
kay hum ab bhee saleeb per lutka'aye jatay haiN

muhamed (saw) ki
kay khutbatul widah kay baad bhee....

hussain (ra) ki
kay shub o roz karbala ka saamna hay

muhamm-ali ki
kay ooska aadha ehsaan....

barbed wire fence / khaardar sarhad

barbed wire fence

starved children

weary parents

fleeing

scorched earth

merciless tin pots

khaardar sarhad

balaktay bachchay

thakay maan-bap

farar kunaaN
jhulasti zameen aur

bay reham aamir say

yeh kaisi khalish hay i

 yeh kaisi khalish hay i

sab baataiN  -  muraw'waja

sab baataiN  -  tawaj'jah t'lub

sab kaam      -  zaroori
aur baad in sub kay

yeh khalish kaisi hay baaqi

yeh kaisi khalish hay ii

 yeh kaisi khalish hay ii

yeh silsila e shub o roz
jeh'd o hangaam e zindagi

aamad o raf't e naf's
kay hay yaqeen is am'r ka

hoga munqatah ik din

laikin ik khalish rahay gi baaqi  

yeh jaan (two versions)

yeh jaan (two versions)

i

bus kay
bus maiN hay
na bus kay baaher
yeh jaan, aap kay

ii

bus kay
bus maiN hay
na bus kay baaher
yeh jaan, aap ki

the vagabond

the vagabond

shivering in oily rags
he sat over the subway exhaust vent
in the freezing night
clutching a gunny bag of words
gathered over a lifetime
wondering if the sacrifices
he made collecting them
were worth it

jub oosnay kaha hum khush haiN

jub oosnay kaha hum khush haiN

thandi aahaiN
p'ur-num nighaouN ka shikwa
rug rug maiN rawaaN bay-chaini
her aahat per youN dar takna
khushi nahiN khish-fehmi hay

shub gareeda sehar*

shub gareeda sehar*

a year

a     l  o  n  g     year

in solitary

masked, washed, distanced

overdosed on introspection  

lost friends to covid

zoomed friends

vaccines ushered a dawn

a sub gareeda seh'r*

life and living

changed forever

https://rekhta.org/nazms/subh-e-aazaadii-august-47-ye-daag-daag-ujaalaa-ye-shab-gaziida-sahar-faiz-ahmad-faiz-nazms

ik aur majboori / compulsion

ik aur majhboori / compulsion

ik aur majhboori

khamoshi behtareen hay
m'gar majboori humari
chup rehnay nahiN daiti

compulsion

yes, silence is golden
but this compulsion mine
won't let me remain quiet

sounds familiar

sounds familiar

in the blinding storm

the tribe trekked

seeking safety

deserting their dwellings

roamed for years

and when the dust settled

found themselves

back in the habitat

they had left behind

bed of mangoes

 bed of mangoes

for the viewing

lay me down on

a bed of mangoes  

head over sindhri

torso over chaunsa

legs over langra

all that sweetness

will not hurt

       finally

kaun kehta hay i-iii

 kaun kehta hay i-iii

i

kaun kehta hay

shama e muhabbat gul ho rahi hay

jao, oon yaadgar emaratouN kay 

sootounouN say pooch lo

jahaaN humaray naam ab bhee 

ik sung-dil maiN kunanda haiN

ii

kaun kehta hay

shama e muhabbat gul ho rahi hay
kya saal b saal

gulabouN ka sadqaa 

nahiN daitay hum?

iii

kaun kehta hay

shama e muhabbat gul ho rahi hay

yeh daikho, gao-mata ki khaal maiN aarasta

tumhari tasveer hay ab bhee mehfooz 

pichli jaib maiN humari

kaun kehta hay iii

 kaun kehta hay iii

iii

kaun kehta hay
shama e muhabbat gul ho rahi hay
yeh daikho, gao-mata ki khaal maiN aarasta
tumhari tasveer hay ab bhee mehfooz
pichli jaib maiN humari

kaun kehta hay ii

kaun kehta hay ii

ii

kaun kehta hay
shama e muhabbat gul ho rahi hay
kya saal b saal
gulabouN ka sadqaa
nahiN daitay hum?

kaun kehta hay i

  kaun kehta hay i

i
kaun kehta hay
shama e muhabbat gul ho rahi hay
jao, oon yaadgar emaratouN kay
sootounouN say pooch lo
jahaaN humaray naam ab bhee
ik sung-dil maiN kunanda haiN

faraib ya tasalli

faraib ya tasalli

faraib ya tasalli
jo hum khud ko daitay haiN
jo hum apnoN ko daitay haiN
jo jum ghairoN ko daitay haiN
ya woh faraib e musalsil
jo hum malik e roz e nau ko
sada daitay haiN
aur tasalli khud ko

 

the sound of a zipper

the sound of a zipper

the sound a zipper

pulled up or down

on a dress or parka

is routinely inaudible  

but the most ominous

soul scratching sound

is that of the zipper 

on a body bag

muqadder

 muqadder

wasooq say kaha darvesh nay

ger mil bhee gaya woh o majnoon

jal ker khaak ho ja'aye ga tu

maloom hay khak ka muqadder

jhalak ooski dekh looN ik baar

skating on thin ice

skating on thin ice

why go to the lake
when we are aware
the ice will break
unexpectedly
and we’ll go down

the beggar woman's eyes

the beggar woman's eyes

i have looked into many an eye

innocent, inviting, infatuating

dismissive, steely, transfixed

but her eyes
had an odd magnetism

dull, weathered  

eyes that have seen it all

once you lock eyes 

there is no escape