यह रात

उफ़ यह रात कटती नही है, क्यों इतनी लम्बी है, दर्द भी तो जाता नही, रश्के दिल थमता नही है,

ज़या से लड़के रात है जीती, मैं भी हारा रात के आगे, मुझसे तनहा तन्हाई संभलती नही है,

तुम हो के मैं हूँ, जो जगा भी है सोया भी, न जाने किन बेमाने ख्वाबों में खोया है,

देखे गुलशन और जज़ीरे सेहराओं में, कौन न जाने, मैं हूँ क्या जो जागे जागे सोया है,

तुम तो नही हो, मैं ही होंगा, जो सूखे पत्ते सा भटके रात की अँधेरी शबनम से बचके,

मैं इतना रोया के अब डरता हूँ, गीली मिटटी, गिले पत्ते, गीली शबनम, हवा के गिले झोंकों से,

तुम घर आओ तो नींद भी लाना, बदले में चाहे जो दिल वो ले जाना, पर चैन भी ले आना ज़रा सा,

मैं नींद से मिल जाऊँगा, तुम आओगे खुश हो जाऊँगा, असर होगा मुझपे भी कुछ तेरी ज़या का,

खाक बनके उड़ती आवारा फिरे है मेरी मुसर्रत, कतराती मुझसे, मुझपे हँसे है मेरी मुसर्रत,

तुम आओगे, वो भी लौट आएगी, फिर क्यों शर्माएगी, तुम तो होगे, तुम उसकी चाहत, तुम मेरी राहत.

उलझा उलझा कुछ

जुगनू कोई फंसा सा लड़ता उलझी उलझी शाखों से,
जीता मरता, बुझता जलता, डरता वो अन्धेरों से,
हाए रे उलझन, जलना जीवन, बुझने की तड़प भी लेकिन,
दर्द बेहद दुखता हुआ, सन्नाटे की खिदमत करनी लेकिन,
कतरा कतरा पीता आंसू जीता, जुगनू बेचारा जलता रहता,
कर्मों का बोझ उठाये, तकदीर पे अपनी रोता रहता,
सोए कैसे, जकडे पड़ों से लटके लटके, जुगनू सोचे,
ख्वाबों के बस ख्वाब सजाऐ, सन्नाटे की चादर उढे,
बस कुछ लम्हे और हैं बाकी, जुगनू चमके खुश होके,
शायद कभी परवाज़ मिलेगी, या सो जाएगा थक ही के.

SILENT TEARS

pitter patter, pitter patter...is it the rain or i hear myself,
pitter patter, pitter patter...is it the pain piercing itself,
holed inside my heart deep where none can see,
i see my pain weep and tears i see fall silently,
i have no place to hide me from pain that's my own,
jitters i feel, fear that brings, creeping down my bone,
hush, says the air, lest somebody hears silent tears,
hush, they say and call me weak, i am weak and hence i cry silent tears.

Employed after long...

It had been a long lull. There were few stray winds of hopeful opportunities in my professionally draughted life, but they would soon realise their misplacement, apologize and leave, leaving me with a note: We regret to inform you that you were unfortunately not shortlisted on this opportunity. I would sigh and again stare at the barren sky, hopeful of showers that would nurture a tree of lustrous notes and coins. Ah! how I imagine a tree like that in my backyard. I would have watered it everyday and put ample fertilizers for it to grow. I had been working hard, my labour just wasn't bearing any fruits. There were resumes made and revised again and again, there were influential persons contacted in vain. Many tiring hours were spent in front of a computer, hunting through innumerable job sites, they were all promising me something, now I know, it was just a false hope. This is how I was falling into the deep pit of frustration, with darkness becoming an accomplice in all my expressions of irritation. But just before I could hit the ground, I saw a hand wandering in the dark seeking mine. I have been pulled out, and I again see the sky. Its funny how a small cloud could envisage my fall from the great a distance and offer its hand. The trees of my dreams are yet to get rooted but I have felt the tiny droplets of water on my face and tongue. The dream is not too far, the materialistic spirituality of my backyard would soon yield its fruits. :)

A night at the Dai-ichi hotel, Tokyo

I sit with the curtains drawn open. There is light glimmering through the glass pane and glittering in my eyes. Caricatures of light from the modern day japan are here to entertain like the courtesans of yester years a lonely soul. Flickering with their own dazzle they bedazzle even a bored mind like mine.

I am keeping awake to see when this city sleeps. I bar my eyelids from lowering down to experience the warmth of the fading lights. Their dance of thousand colours lures me; the smoke from their glow entices me to wrap myself in it. I want to go out on my own and take the city in my palm as I walk its street. I don't want to be a dog wagging its tail behind those who think they master the lanes and by lanes of Tokyo. I want to make a paper plane and venture out alone amongst unknown faces flying on my little plane, not fearing its crash. What I fear is discovery. To discover and not get discovered is my intention- to greet strangers and meet them again just once, once acquainted; to cross a place twice but not call it my own; to be able to see across vast lands but not spot my own self in the sphere of vision; to only discover myself after losing the inhibitions, the apprehensions, the pretensions my existence as a person came along with. The fading lights welcome me to a new dawn. Let me get unleashed.

I AIMED HIGH

I wanted to win the sun, so I lit a small candle,
Its glowing flame in my eyes got me the sun,
I aimed high for the sky and plunged into a pool,
I touched the sky at the feet of the dancing blues,
Skipping a meal taught me the act of sacrifice,
I read a chapter and preached the bible,
I photographed a soldier and proclaimed peace,
I hoped to clear my mind of few nasty thoughts,
I slept an hour and had newer nastier thoughts,
I wanted to resolve my issues and hence ran,
I took the easy way and thought I had succeeded,
Did I defeat my fears, did I conquer my laxities,
I wrote an optimistic poem and believed I did.