her mar'z ka eelaj

her mar'z ka eelaj

mehangaee
bay rozgari
maeeshat, taalim
a'mun o a'maan
a'dum bardaasht
hay sub ka eelaaj
eh'l e eemaan kay lyay
mazhab kay marham say
ger yaqeen na ho
tou pooch lo
kisi wa'ezz say

the love song of ghulam h qureshi

the love song of ghulam h qureshi

the suitor sings 'we're on the same page..same page'
saying not if it was a homepage or webpage
despite seepages, slippages and stoppages
he and cohorts sing qawwalis 'same page...same page'

if we were angels of the flawless variety

 if we were angels of the flawless variety

a matter of degrees and seconds
of times recent
when indulged we did
in righteous indignation
sanctimonious deceptions
hypocritical behavior
knowingly or inadvertently
just shows we are no angels

#tpoem
more at:
baithuk.wordpress.com

Sheila Benson @sheilabenson

If I'm going to be a hypocrite, I'll be a hypocrite on my own terms !

cure-all: a desi poem

cure-all: a desi poem

inflation
unemployment
economy, education
law and order
intolerance
all can be cured
for the faithful
by religion
or so it seems

reunion

reunion

predestined
fall leaves
a van Gogh
on the ground
bare branches
forlorn, dreaming
of primeval spring
bliss

and reunion

lighthouse

lighthouse

desolate
disconcerted
derelict
decayed
dysfunctional
a metaphor
for both 
the munmbar 
and the pulpit

suicidal thoughts

 suicidal thoughts

when some persons
open their mouths
stupidity, if it were a person
would contemplate suicide


"Pakistan's victory against India is victory of Islam (against Hindus of course). - Pakistan's interior minister Sheikh Rasheed

in the solar plexus

in the solar plexus

joy descends
unawares but not unwanted
clouding news
afghan kids dying of hunger
higher prices and
lower expectations
hollow pots, holy hymns
till the reality
kicks in the solar plexus 

ik dabya maiN

ik dabya maiN

jub aap lotaiN gay
kuch shehr ki raunaqaiN
dostouN ki baataiN
bazarouN kay hungamay
ik dabya maiN lay aana
phir is barafzar maiN
jub hum milaiN  gay
oosay khol ker hum kuch
kum karaiN gay tishnagi

the river of discontent

the river of discontent

the river of discontent the subterranean river of discontent

that flowed for centuries surfaced

the recent imbalance in clime political infused with dogma and superstition caused the dam of Sab'r to crack open

submerging the hallowed minarets of faith

jahannum

jahannum

halaat e hazira per
jub jaati hay nazar
aata nahiN yaqeen
kay jahannum
baad mer'g milay gi

the many faces of smiles ii

 the many faces of smiles ii

(concluding)

the politician's smile
machiavellian and condescending
of all the many faces of smile
the only true smiles
are the ones
playing on the lips
of the recently deceased
and on the infant's lips

the many faces of smiles part i

 the many faces of smiles i

the beloved's smile
     wondering, anticipating
the loan shark's smile
     greedy and knowing
the fake preacher's smile
     aware of victim's gullibility
the newspaper boy's and
the dumb child beggar's
     pleading, cajoling

(to be continued)

phobias galore

phobias galore

nafratouN kay sailaab maiN
ger ummeed ka ik tinka
ik tamtamata diya
bhee ger milja'aye
tou ,,,

checkmate

checkmate

in this chess game
we moved
or were moved
pawn we were
at times though
we moved like a knight
or a rook or bishop
but in the end
pawn we remained and
were always checkmated

kal

kal

kal ki souch maiN
hu'aye itnay m'gun
kay kub kal aaj hu'a
aur aaj dhul ker
kal hu'a
          is baat ka
ehsaas bhee na hu'a

ta'aqoob

ta'aqoob

zung aalood
su'too'noN per
likhay aahdaaf
jo baa'resh buzurgh
sada dilouN per
sab't kertay haiN
saraabouN kay
ta'aqoob maiN

the pursuit

the pursuit

unending pursuits
of programmed goals
shoved down
plebeian throats
knowing not
they are pieces
chasing mirages

the elephant in the room

the elephant in the room

(responding to @dL70)

iqbal
mashriqi
jinnah
madani
maudoodi
well, well
it is islam
misinterpreted
played
used
and here we are
terminally infected

of fervor and fever

of fervor and fever

dengue, typhoid
covid-19
fever
goes up
and with treatment
comes down
religious fever
goes up and up
and self destructs

daastaan e azli

daastaan e azli

aa'aye
chalay
rukay
aur chalay ga'aye
lo huee youN mukammal
yeh daastaan e azli

the space in between

the space in between

the space in between
~land and DHA
~mangrove and sea
~desert and river
~elite and the unwashed
~mullahs and followers
~you and me
none matters
as the space between ears
if not nurtured
leads to cacophony

#tpoem
more at:
baithuk.wordpress.com

@ideedumz
the space in  between

what good is reading?

 what good is reading?

knowledge

if not 

fermented

regurgitated

reformatted

and assimilated

in daily acts

is wasted

and the trees

remain inconsolable

dee

@ideedumz

so much to read so much unread

respect

respect

respect  words
respect books
don't throw
books at trees
knowledge flows
from trees

looking into a broken mirror

looking into a broken mirror

this world
under world
nether world
unjust world
    yeh duniya
    woh duniya
    aapki. na humari
claimed by few
neglected by many

of the sun and the moon

of the sun and the moon

there are two of them

   the sun and the moon

   one for the day

   one for the night

the other sun and moon

ar Nadia's sun and moon

they will miss her

day and night

https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/advancement/2021/10/06/she-was-a-force-of-nature-nadia-chaudhri-1978-2021-passes-away.html?c=/news/concordia-remembers

la - no

 

la  -  no

what began as a negation
culminated in an affirmation
    of faith and oneness
obscured by time
and clergy led dogma
here we are oscillating
but don't share this
if you do, you are on your own

#tpoem
more at:
baithuk.wordpress.com

nawwab and i: heavyweight fight

nawwab and i: heavyweight fight

t: which do you prefer N...
N: woof woof
t: ...between faith and dogma?
N: that is for you. we have no need for either.
t: so dogs have no need for faith or dogma?
N: another reason why we are superior.
t: i suspected that...
N: you must be torn.
t: yes am torn. both pull in their direction
N: your faith will win
t: you think so?
N: yes. dogma follows faith.

#nawwabandi

keyboard warriors

keyboard warriors

lost in space
we have become
keyboard warriors
communicating, cajoling
persuading, pontificating
round the clock
and then wham
the system malfunctions
and we become
keyboard prisoners

dear zeus

dear zeus

just FYI dear zeus
none of my friends
acquaintances and enemies
real or perceived
made the box
for that
i thank you

stomping on high heels

stomping on high heels

wrote a friend
stomping on high heels
to get her way
is fast becoming her approach

oh dear
what happened to those times
when a slight nudge
a barely audible sigh
a subtle smile
a certain look
would do the trick?

#tpoem
more at:
baithuk.wordpress.com

________________

WolfMomma

@wolfmomz

Mini tantrum in co-op bank is fast becoming my trademark

another today

another today

tomorrow
today will return
with the same
or greater intensity
we will read rumi
and ghalib
drink chai
or forbidden juices
curse the climate
and wait for the day
to disappear