let us be unfaithful

if there is one thing
to be added
to the shahadah
        it will be
we will not learn
the core message
of peace and compassion

his master's voice

his master's voice

broken records
not olympic
but vinyl
45mm, LPs
replace needle, crank handle
or simply place cartridge
and turn on
if the record is broken
throw it away
hard to do the same
with politicians
especially of desi variety

the tower and the minaret

 the tower and the minaret

not the one in pisa
but the one in agra
one unintentional
the other with intent
and entangled beneath
we succumb to parables

of faith and faithless

 faith and faithless

the kapala carrying aghoris*
worshipper of shiva and kali
practicing faith 
fearlessly & faithfully

am perplexed and perturbed
by the faithless politicians
of all creed and cult
who suck people's blood
remorselessly, relentlessly

rightbrained heretic

@aamanlamba

Aghori: Holy Men Of The Dead 💀(Documentary about India's Cannibals) अघोर youtu.be/JDyNvfBQ4Cs via @YouTube

allah ditta, my soul brother

 allah ditta, my soul brother

 
he offered me refuge but i declined
told him i'll be be back
as the mob neared
i scaled the rear wall
found refuge
first in puran qila, then lajpat nagar
seeing this sepia photo
am reminded of my promise


________________________

Moneir Aslam

@moneir27

Frozen in time. It would seem the Owner of the house and the bicycle didn't have any heirs:

2:47am · 25 Jun 2021 · Twitter for Android

laanat

 laanat

laanat bhaij sakhtay haiN
kya hum apnay aap per?
hum rakhtay nahiN paas
insaanoN, janwaroN
apnoN  ya ghairoN ka
srif paisa hee hay jo
is daur e haazir  maiN
meh'ver e zindagi hay
laanat bhaij sakhtay haiN
kya hum apnay aap per

malala

malala

in the desert
folklores tell us
a chattel she was
a commodity
to be traded
not much has changed
with ghungroo* and
mangalsutra*
enslaved she remained
but a new dawn
is ushering in
a new awareness
to undo the
centuries of
injustice

*ghungroo: a musicl anklet worn around the feet of courtesan and dancers

*manglasutra: a necklace to mark the status of a married woman

Hand prints of women (Maharaja s wives) who committed sati in Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Sati was cruel ancient practice where a widowed Hindu women would immolate herself on her husbands funeral pyre.

iqra

iqra

r e a d
read, read, read...
the first revelation
        and we
the other chosen one
       chose to read
without understanding
and then apportion blame
to the swinging mullahs
      who manufacture 
their own interpretation

#tpoem
more at:
baithuk.wordpress.com

________

Mehrjabeen Iftikhar

@mehrjabin

ashraf ul makhlooq: not a robot

 ashraf ul makhlooq: not a robot

tell that person
who claims to know
the west and more
lives a double life
a born-again
rosary in hand
shaukat khanum
would be ashamed
of this quack

raaz ki baat

 raaz ki baat

ik raaz ki baat bataaiN aaj
yeh jo haiN deen kay thekaydar
rear view mirror dekh ker
ghalat sim't  car chalatay haiN

this is a clash* of pedophiles

this is a clash* of pedophiles

the children
yes, the children
aborigines  
indigenous americans
altar boys
seminary students
uighurs
targeted across continents
nations and states

not across civilizations


(*sorry samuel p huntington)

raaz: der o deewar

 raaz: der o deewar

khula darwazah
raaz chupa sakhta nahiN
yeh deewaraiN hee haiN
her raaz ko
laga rakhti haiN

seenay say
amaanat maiN khayanat

kabhi kerti nahiN

summun bukmun aaumyun*

 summun bukmun aaumyun*

religion is opioid
the pope wouldn't apologize
the mufti did
to avoid punishment
but if our tongues slipped
the blasphemy card will be waived
and the cross will be readied

*deaf, dumb, and blind,
Sūra II.: Baqara,

jaanib e falak ya zaire zameeN

 jaanib e falak ya zaire zameeN

kya kabhi aapkay zeh'n maiN

khayal yeh aata hay kay
yeh mufti ho 

ya woh maulana 

yeh rapist ho 

ya woh MNA 

jald hee inhaiN rawana kerdaiN
jaanib e falak ya zaire zameeN

upon deplaning

 upon deplaning

bone tired
after the long haul flight
i look for the shortest
passport control line up
          let me confess
i do not learn from experience
the longer line up
invariably moves faster

ghulami b'rung e digar

 ghulami b'rung e digar

ghulami sab't hay lOh per
dunya o aakhirat ki
ya chasm e dil o jaan ki
supard e khaak honay tuk

swimming in the sea

 swimming in the sea

swimming in the sea
natatory in time-waves
encountering illusions
confronting disillusions
suddenly the swim ends
leaving us oblivious
             to karma

rogue

 rogue*

maaloom tha kisay
kay dil ka woh rogue
banega ik din
jaan ka "rogue"

(second rogue is in english)

poucha oos shaukh nay

 poucha oos shaukh nay

sawal aap buhat kartay haiN
kuch souch ker jawab maiN kaha
sawal na hoNgay tou  hum bhee
na hoNgay ap kay ru'b'ru

naala

 naala

naala kutnay kay baad
qismat ki kashti maiN
behtay rahay youNhii
kabhi hum nay paya
aur kabhi gooNwaya
puja, parishtish, aur
ibadat say guzray
aur bil aakhir hu'aye
dunya maiN dunyavi 

umbilcal cord

 umbilical cord 

after the cut-off
destiny made us
beachcomber, drifter
vagrant, vagabond
nomad, wanderer
pilgrim, explorer
but in the great 
game plan of Time
temporal we were 
temporal we are

homage

homage

for how long
will we continue
to pay homage to life?
when will we be free?

khiraj

khiraaj

kya hum youNhii
          khiraj
daitay rahaiNgay
          zindagi ko
kub milay gi aazaadi

these gynophobic desi men

these gynophobic desi men

who bred in them
this disdain for women?
      their mothers?
      teachers?
      mullahs?
or is it  in their dna?
this disdain, contempt, scorn
disregard, disrespect
for their gynophobic hostility

surprise

 surprise

when the expected
happens unexpectedly
or the unexpected
happens unexpectedly

eternal tales

 eternal tales

in ocean Time
ceaseless waves 
      of Moments
embracing the shores
ferrying smiles, sighs
grievances of untold
     eternal tales

azli daastaanaiN

 azli daastaanaiN

waq't ka samander

aur samander maiN
lamhOuN ki lehraiN
hoti haiN hum aaghosh
saahil say baar baar
hay mud'fun in maiN
muskurahataiN
aahaiN, shikway,
aur hazaaraha
azli daastaanaiN

joos'tu'joo

joos'tu'joo

sub mil jaatay haiN
aaj nahiN tou kal
kaun batla'aye ga
kyuN nahiN milta woh

sequins and consequences

sequins and consequences

on the ramp
under spotlights
lithe models in sequins
catwalking to music
men rubbernecking
sequins and consequences
intended or unintended
commingling

i like wars

i like wars

i like wars
not the ones
with bullets and bombs

i like wars
not fought 
with bullets and bombs
global warming, illiteracy
health, intolerance....