paaNch fuzooliyat-e-aala

1. maashooq ke qameez ke button jehRay nay, o saaray TuT chukay
ta-fair zindagi da ki bharosa

2. zulm ki dastaanoN ke parchay bhar gaeN haiN aur sundarta phaatak
per Khaamosh khaRi hai

3. peshaani surKh hatheeli per ludo khail ker soch kay third floor
per pohanch gaee

4. aa jao sanam, madhur chaandni may hum tum milaiN ge ta-fair tu
baahar te maiN andar

5. lashkar-e-jang tayyaar, mauj-e-bahaar chup, aur farishtoN ke
paron per fateek-e-uff-allah.

Sense of history

Sense of history is impaled upon the rootless.
Dark moments clarifying supine tendencies
Stalking half-lives, dread-sores, mean-leftovers.
Hence the livid revision, hence the crafting of
Facts and repetition repetition repetition.

gharonday ki Khaaki

jo gharonday ki Khaaki ki taraf maail ho kar
jo sa’ubat ke muN moRne se Ghaafil ho kar

jo falak teen honay pe do chaar agar ho jaae
jo Khabar dard ki sunnay se bekaar ho jaae

jo zabeehat ki faraawaani se ghayal ho kar
jo qabaahat ki zabardasti ka qaail ho kar

jo himaqat ke baRhnay ka Ghum kho beThay
jo shikayat ke thamnay ka zaKhm ro beThay

jo zara der may raat ke sunnaTay ke sunnaTay may
jo baRay shauq se ghabraae shub-e-ghabrahaT se.

riveting of soul


the deathening silence, the over-arting stream of
blue dots, pale shards, crimson peals of tasteless

buds that pulsate and mortify: this is how regular
vision gets its irregular thrust and non-monotone

rhythm; the heathening silence, the over-balming
stream of blue dots, pale shards, crimson peals

of tasteless buds that mortate and pulsify: this is
then the riveting of soul and its firmamenting.

peeChe aur aagay

peeChe agar moR ka humdum tha to aagay bhi hai
saahil ka dehakta hua Ghubaar. peeChe agar Dar

ki hikayat ka sahara tha to aagay hai sehra ke do
ruKh, aik namkeen or doosra pheeka. peeChe agar

muThThi bhar imkaan ke saaya ki heek thi to aagay
hai aarzoo ki umanDti huee, simaTti huee pukaar.

The tumult

There is the tumult and then there is the tide
Tide brings the source of silt along with the grit
Of foam of salt of earth of form of lost invocations.

There is the tumult and there there is the smoke
Smoke which wraps the heart of courage in billets
Of grass of dust of moist earth venting off time.

There is the tumult and then there is the wit
Wit that pokes the mill pokes the shadow pokes
The effervescence at three different shades of noon.

mazaar-e-be-bunyaad

jub pahaaR ke peeChe heek ho mauj-e-toofaN ki
jub neend rooh-e-sehr ki KhwahaaN ho raat bhar

to mazaar-e-be-bunyaad se pheNkay huay kuCh
tukRoN se utna hee mustafeed hoga bhaNwraa

ke jitni gehraai ka haamil hai waaiz ki bachkana
laffaazi. jub neend rooh-e-sehr ki KhwahaaN ho

raat bhar to pahaaR ki soch mauj-e-toofaN ke
siwa aur kaheeN na bhaTke gi. aur jub waaiz

ki laffazi-e-be-bunyaad ka pol khul hi chuka hai
to aql ka taqaaza yehi he ke boseeda lashoN ke

Dher me usay bhi baRi nafaasat baRay ehtamaam
ke saath ik bachkaana kafan may gaaR diya jaae.

The sum of all errors

The sum of all errors reduces to a big fat sigma
Over tau, a regal parading of forgotten greek
Identities giving vent to historical remissions
And elliptical omissions. And thus it sits so far.

The sum of all errors reduces to known figurines
Circumambulating the dry museum air closed to
Curious eyes wanting to know the sliver of the
Glint of the shiny sheen. And thus it sits so far.

The sum of all errors reduces to coward words
And fleeting symbols wowing at their reflections
And preening for want of a better word or symbol
at the edge of their reflections. And thus it sits so far.

shirk aur tum

wajah be wajah, tum hum Dug-mug, Dug-mug
tarah be tarah, hum tum, rah guzar aur shaam

maza be maza, Khauf-o-Khatr, yahaaN aur yahaaN
matlab bila uzr, ma’ani bila Khauf-o-jabr, wahaaN

qatra ba qatra, silsala-e-nashr, yuNheeN juNhee
lafz be harf, iss taraf aik shaam aur rah guzar

maiN aur mera merapun, subh-e-kerb, dukh bila husn
dukh bila huzn, rah guzar shaam ki tarah Dug-mug

ab aur aik shaam jis rah guzar ki taraf gaamzan
nahiN aur nahiN, kub talak sirf shirk aur tum?

jis taur se

jis taur se baiThay ga aaNgan may khaRka hua chehra
jis simt se do baazoo aaeN ge is paar
jis tarah simTay ga meri aawaaz ka bikhra hua Ghubaar
jis shauq se ThukraeN ge hum shub ke khareedar.

yehi to lutf ki shaaKh ka gehwaara kehlaae ga
yeheeN pe tarz ke ulloo pe paRha jae ga qaseeda
yuNhee ab simt ki rut ka bajaeN ge hum Dhol
yeheeN pe neend ki humjoli ka ubhray ga aqeeda.