Divine

All that is beautiful;
And pure,
All that glows with health;
And kindness,

All that looks skyward;
And gives earthward,

All that loves,
All that liberates,
All that dreams,

And all
That lives in the hearts of children

Is divine.

On the Ferry to Home Sweet Home

A green so green
And a gray so gray
The shades of magic
On a drizzly day
A misty scent
Lures me away

On the ferry
To home sweet home

Springs a fountain
Of vocabulary
Sings the heart
Of a wandering fairy
Christmas carol,
A song that’s merry

On the ferry
To home sweet home

The breeze is mystic
It tickles my skin
Frolicking flora
Of hues akin
Winter bells,
Wine with kin

On the ferry
To home sweet home

On your behalf...

She was awake,
when everyone had left.
She stayed sane,
when everyone had lost it.
She smiled,
when you had broken down.
When really,
She was the one crumbling to pieces
Beneath that placid face
Facing this brutal world,
Lonely and silenced…
With haunting memories,
Guilt for deeds undone,
And bitter tears for
Your discrediting words
Spoken carelessly.

She, who bears your burden,
With pleasure
She who does what is right,
Because unlike you,
She does not have the luxury
Of letting go…
When you fall
Who else will hold you,
Otherwise?

She, who has always been there,
Is there beside you,
And will be there till your last breath,
Hiding tears…
And fighting fears
Of her imminent tomorrows,
Without you…

You have nothing to lose,
You live warmly cared for,
But if you leave,
She will have lost everything.
Sacrifices of those in pain
Are visible,
And are made visible.
But those who suffer in silence
Are forgotten
Like Lakshman’s Urmila.

A long life,
He may bless you with
But she blessed you
With her support life-long.

And though you may not fulfill
the promise of ‘forever’,
You made to your second half,
Last words
of acknowledgement could
On your behalf…

And I had thought…

I don’t understand love;
It is too complex.
I understand friendship.
I understand togetherness.
I understand silly tiffs
And then inevitable patch-ups.

And I had thought…
All of these together would make up love,
But apparently,
Love is made up of really big things…
Like commitment,
Responsibility,
Sacrifice,
Respect and many more…
And among these big big things,
The tiny simple ones just get lost!

And I had thought…
That when the tiny things are in place
The big ones would naturally happen
But apparently,
Love begins with ‘commitment’
And ends…
with ‘just friendship’

When really, I had thought…
It would blossom
The other way round.

बेनाम जसबात

ये कैसी उल्झनें?
ये कैसी हैरानियॉं?
अजी, गुस्ताखी कैसी?
जब हमने रखी सरॉंखों पर
आपकी मन्मानियॉं?

इन जख्मों का क्या मोल?
जी लेंगे; इन्हें मानकर
आपकी महरबानियॉं...

अल्फाजों पर न करें
और जुल्म
अब छोड भी दें
ये परेशान खामोशियॉं

हमारे दिल को जख्म देने की
इतनी बडी सज़ा?
अजी, माफी कैसी?
इश्क में आपके जख्मी हुए,
ये तो कुबूल हुई
हमारे ही दिल की रज़ा...

ऑंखें

उनकी ऑंखों से बेह्ते
जसबातों का झरना,
मेरे मन की प्यास
कुछ ऐसे बुझाए,
कि रुक न सके
मेरी प्रीत का सागर.

ऑंखों की वह हल्की चमक
कुछ कह गई,
अनकही...
मेरे सप्नों की दुनिया
आबाद कर गई,
मासूमियत उनकी...

उनके मन की परछाई
जैसे ऑंखों ने ओढ ली हो,
हल्की मुस्कान ने उनकी
जैसे मेरी ख्वाइशें चुरा ली हों...

न छूने की आस,
न प्रीत की प्यास,
अब है, सिर्फ एक एह्सास
जो मेरी रुः को
कर चला आजाद...

ख्वाइश

आप हमारे खयालों में रहिए,
नज़रों के सामने न आइएगा ,वरना
शर्म से कुछ ऐसे झुक जाऍंगी ये पलकें,
कि मुश्किल हो जाएगा इश्क का इज़हार

वह मुलाकात होगी तो बेहद हसीन,
लेकिन चाहेंगे फिर भी हम यही

दिल को आपकी तलाश रहे
रिश्ता आपसे नहीं,
शायरी में कैद
आपके एह्सास से रहे

Promise of the skies

Azure skies
A radiance fluid,
An eternal promise,
For a future,
Infinite; immense; unknown.
I walk the earth
My gaze skyward
I long...for flight
I await...my wings.

Froth

Floating froth
Leaves a trail
Of little bubblets many,
That drift away
All alone,
In search
Of a shore unknown.
Many burst
Into a mist
A thousand particles tiny,
Abducted away,
All astray,
The breeze
Now far, far; far-away.

Dad, I have nowhere to go

Dad, I have nowhere to go.
I'm stranded
In a blizzard of frozen tears
In the chilly winter of lonely fears.

I see no light, no path,
No warm embrace.
Groping, I collapse
Into an agonizing haze.

My dearest, my family are distant
And loving friends flee
A deafening silence pervades
For a haunting eternity.

Some Friendships...

Some friendships are short-lived,
But last forever.

Moments when smiles assure a support
Too meaningful for words.
Such readiness to help
That it's almost always assumed
So easily.
Often, being there and being around
Is the best friendship can offer.
Yet the world seems complete.

Friends may not know
How deep thoughts are
And eyes are careful,
For fear of misunderstandings.

Sometimes I wonder,
What keeps friendships and love apart
Probably friends,
Are too unexpecting to be possessive.
Too free to be caged in vows?

New Year 2007

Dazzling Success,
Adventures may abound!
Caring friends and family
May always surround.

A fulfilling journey,
Through the New Year
May take you beyond
Dreams, cherished and dear.