My barefoot need

My barefoot need
And my coated want
Intermingle
Play hide and seek
While my hooded eyes
And my naked smile
Communicate in Morse code

(Mar 2011)

Collateral damage

Little boy, fat man dropped, mushroom clouds
A war won, cities of death, collateral damage
Successful deals, firm handshakes, Swiss bank accounts
Oil boom, ozone depletion, collateral damage
Big smiles, flashing cameras, bombastic speeches
Divided borders, families lost, collateral damage
Chinese whispers, sectarian clashes, blood overflow
Political clout, broken society, collateral damage
Karo kari, honour killing, Haq bakhshish
Love less, child less, collateral damage
Stove burst, acid attack, Vani
Male pride, female humility, collateral damage
Sweet words, honeyed eyes, defection
Deception, destroyed faith, collateral damage
Words of love, promises, affirmation
Lost honour, broken heart, collateral damage

(Feb 2011)

Aik taar

Aik taar dikkha tau hai yahan
Thoda uljha, thoda simta
Kuch baikal, kuch dabbka sa
Dekho tau phisal, jhijak jaye
Chuo tau lippat, simmat jaye
Halka, maheen, kirnon jaisa
Shafaaf, mulayam hawaoon jaisa
Narm, garam muskurahaton sa
Hai par kuch zabt lohe jaisi
Aatish ki tapish, chamak sholey si
Hai par kuch saddiyon ki kashish
Pehchaan barson ki
Unsiiyat lambi umron si
Apna se milan, wasal janmon sa
Dhadhkan manoos, saans hamraaz si
Keh hai aik taar, aik taar hai tau yahin

(Feb 2011)

Death...still

There is the sudden death
Under fire, under siege
Shrieks, gunshots
Running footsteps
Gashes and wounds
Then there is the ongoing death
Constant, lingering
Slow, forever
Day after day
Time after time
For you, for me
For all of ours and more

(Feb 2011)

The Reprieve

Sing me a lullaby, steal me a dream
Build me a fantasy with tinsel and glittery seams
There is plenty to say, plenty to declare
Pronounce, utter, declaim
Announce, shout and refrain
No I'm not asking for promises
I'm not asking for a bond
But a reprieve that holds off the chainsaws
The serrating blades, the gut-wrenching screams
So shower me with sparklers and the bright twinklers
The shimmer, the confetti, the neon prismatic centrepieces
The garlands, party poppers, some icing, some champagne
Mind-numbing music, heart-stopping strain
Notes breathing sadness, as a banshee sighs at the end of a keen

(Feb 2011)

For you are the vein

What's said is yours
What's unsaid is also yours
When have I ever needed to
Speak or not speak
Reveal or conceal
Whisper or shout with zeal
For you are the word,
The meaning, the syntax
The echo, the refrain
The rhyme, the quatrain
For you are the vein
All that of me remains

(Jan 2011)

Pal pal

Pal pal har pal behta hai rait ki manind
Pal pal duur jaise jaate ho tum
Pal pal har pal silti hai ruuh
Dhadhkan main phir se aa liptay ho tum
Rookhi khushk lakeeron mein basste basste
Jaane kab aankh ke geelepan mein uttar aaye ho tum


Aur pal ab tau kabhi wehshat ban kar
Dekhte hain tamasha jaise ho tum
Odh ke niqaab bebasi ka
Raag majboori ka alaapte ho tum
Ghadiyon mein holey holey beet jaane ka
Andaz tau khoob jaante ho tum

(Jan 2011)