poem 14

First Winter

This winter was the coldest
And the hardest.
During the snowfall of circumstances,
The glass-like sharp edges of flakes of words
Brushed past my exposed face
Unused to climate such as this.

The freezing cold winds from north
Cut my eyes like sharp threads of memories.
Got into my chest made it heavy
And did not even come out.
At night the bones
Could hear them talk among themselves.
The fluid of emotions that oiled them
Must have been dried up.

Many things slowed down,
Some even to a halt:
The heart threatened not to beat at times,
Muscles did not even flinch for a smile,
Tears did not flow past the eyes,
Blood got stuck paralysed,
Unguided by any will to do anything.
The winter would have been bearable,
Had you not pulled away from me
And shred to pieces in a few minutes
The blanket of warm sheep skin,
That took us the whole of autumn to weave.

day 13 - poem 13

Barter

No more of the hardness of earth for me,
Or the thorny bed of grasses.
On soft cushions now I lie down
But sleep like blessings has become rarer.

I have removed the sheet of sky
Studded with stars and clouds.
Now I have a roof rock-solid
Too small for hope and dreams together.

The playful breeze of summer nights
I swapped with mere air-conditioned.
The silence of the woods and river
With the noise of vehicles and motor.

I put my trust on iron and wood
More than on men and their goodness.
Now but doubt everyone
And everything I fear.

I have bartered the whole universe
For a small space called 'my house'
What was without limits any
Tapes and foot can now measure.

Kinship with many and friendship with all,
I hurriedly did shun
I choose a few to alternatively love and hate
Called them 'my family dear' .

day 11 - poem 12

that tear drop
should have stayed in the shell of your eyes.
and years of longing
would have turned it into a pearl

day 10 - poem 11

Sant Kabir Das
A saint in his own class.
Spake only the truth without fear.
Condemned all rituals, upheld love pure.

Sachin Tendulkar
Is not just a cricketer
To give hope, God himself came
Batted for India and blessed the game !

Kishore Kumar
Versatile genius without par
Singer, Actor, Composer and Director
Crooned for many but married four !


(Attempt at clerihew. A clerihew is a whimsical, four-line biographical poem)

day 9 - poem 10

Threat

A roof big, blue and bright
Dark like her eyes at night.
Walls of green mountains around
Valleys soft and profound.
There was my home alright.

Then they all came here
Many names, from far and near.
One was government, other corporate
Some to study, some to educate.
Our plight you see, too hard for them to bear.

"We are here for God's work" some said.
Some others fought with them and retorted.
Medicines with leaflets they mixed
Food for few symbols - deal fixed!
By whom but were my huts gutted?

We were asked to GO,
'To gain something, something you must forgo:
Growth for COUNTRY' they told
"We will turn this land into GOLD"
Graveyard, refugee camps, wherever - just GO!

They tore open the heart of earth mother
Big trucks, night and day did hungrily gather
GOLD as they said before, they got
'US' they all soon easily forgot.
Who gained what and who lost here.

Some of them came again
"What you have lost, you must regain.
Organise, protest, fight and revolt.
Lets give the system a mighty jolt.
Here brothers - take guns and train".

It worked and seemed so perfect
Some land we got back, some respect.
We did plunder your towns for greed 'FACTORIES'
We just wanted back the lives we lived for centuries.
Yet you called us 'COUNTRY's gravest security THREAT!'.

Then a few more marching came
With guns and machines with them.
We bled, got killed, were bombed,
Women, children and men - combed !
THREAT - eliminated, land cleared for GAME!

The poem was written at an altitude of 30-50,000 ft (yeshh, on a flight, on the back of the boarding pass!). Though the things that are written on here are very much grounded.
It is about the 'Country's gravest security threat - Naxalism'.

My attempt at a form called limerick (rhyming scheme - aabba).

day 8 - poem 9

One does not understand ordinarily,
Even has doubts, due to experiences otherwise.
Circumspect, cautious and fearful too
To accept the blessing one has found.
Ever aware of the limits of distance and time,
And transient nature of all seen and felt.
Seeks approbation from others learned and less,
Of what one knows in heart is for certain.
One bounces off and back again and again
From joy and apprehension inexplicable.
Disbelieves the worth of what is received
The receiver and even the generous giver.

Only when one finds a one as 'You',
One knows for sure what has one found!

Dedicated to my sister and all the wonderful people who are a part of my life.

day 7 - poem 8

Bidai - II
(sending off of the bride from her parent's home after marriage)

Though not easy to bear
Today, I would not stop
You or your tears.

They would tell me many things about your world
You many not have told or
I may not have understood well.

Mingled with those of your mother
They would tell me
I am taking the shadow away from the image.
That someone else would also
Need to know all the moment
That you are well and happy.

Dampening the chest of your father,
They would show me,
What high ideals you would seek in me.
The grip of his hand - caring but firm;
That steadied your steps and made you fearless as a child
Would have to be replaced.

Wiped away with plams of your friends and sister
They would beseach me to do the same
If ever you were hurt or sad.
And that you would need to confide in a friend
Without doubt or aprehension
In absolute trust.

More than anything they would inspire me
To do and many times not to do anything
So that I see them again.

This poem and the one posted before this were my reactions as a husband and brother (in that order) though I am yet to experience it first-hand.

day 6 - poem 7

Bidai - I
(sending off of the bride from her parent's home after marriage)

Those tiny fingers which you wrapped around my eyelids
And asked 'bhai, who am I ?'
Have become red with the redness of my eyes
Though old women say its the colour of your husband's love.
Fingers over my forehead, which used to measure my temperature
Nursing me back to health and smile from fever.
And massaged my tired back with mustard oil
Before a winter bath.
Slipped away every so slowly away from me
Farther and stranger.

The earthen lamp lit for prayers at dusk
Will miss the caressing echo of your voice
Repeating the hymns we sang in joy.
Your slippers would have no one to wear them
And run after me to join me in my walks.
Demeaned and even insulted, to whose eyes everyday
Shall I look into to find respect and trust fathomless?

day 5 - poem 6

I know not of the sun
Getting up from the bed of the eastern sea
But I have seen you raise eyelids to look up.

May not have touched with hands
Dew-drops dancing on a rose petal
I have but felt your tender lips.

They talk of the warmth of dove's wings
Who never have snuggled and
Slept in your arms.

With closed eyes when I soak-in,
The scent of your breath
I wish, I never breathe out again.

The eighth note, I discovered
Was the music in your laugh
More than the whisper of the stream.

The tired sun melts into the outstretched
Palm of the horizon and
I have found rest in your heart.

day 4 - poems 4-5

I

We met
And I had thought
We would do so more often.
Still I catch you in my mind, eyes
Do you?

II

This match
Like all the rest
Will have people take sides
For region or reason; decide,
It starts.

(writing before I (still undecided) start for an IPL (read lots of money) cricket match)

First attempt at Cinquain poem (2-4-6-8-2 syllables)

day 3- poem 3

Not This

Have you seen that one man?

Who did not have any name

Came from nowhere; his form

But too blurred to frame.

-

Water, earth, sky, wind, fire;

None of these it was ever

Nor any of the senses, objects;

Smell, taste, sight, touch or hear.

-

It can not be the mind restless

It merely did witness thought's movement

What analysed and judged the world

Was not it, but it's intellect patient.

-

Not for itself, but for ego mighty

Did it gather and posses a lot.

Friend, beloved, master, student,

Child, father: were just forms it begot.

-

No options it has than itself,

Its form is but formless,

Here and everywhere,

Now and everytime, It Is.

("Inspired" by 'Atmashatakam' by Shankaracharya)

day 2 - poem 2

de-sire

Beware of this potent seed - desire:
Sown in fertile mind, fruit it must bear.
Once fulfilled something else does it transpire
Thwarted, often turns to sorrow, anger.
Seated on the throne that governs the land
It cracks the whip like a dictator pitiless,
Thoughts and actions move as per command,
Judgement blindfolded, will powerless.
It's real nature, not easily discerned at first
Deludes us to believe, there is something to gain.
'Hemlock' we realise later, only increases the thirst
And to a raging fire more fuel does one add in vain.
Howsoever tempting and repeated be its call,
Do as less or if possible nothing with it at all.

day 1 - poem 1

together

all live here:
minute seconds of space
in tiny holes of time

(My attempt at writing Haiku)

untitled

न शिकवा है, न सवाल कोई
महसूस करने का खौफ नहीं
हर एहसास को एहसास-भर जिया है ।

तेरे दिए हर एक ग़म के रेशे को
बड़े जतन से एक-एक कर जिया है
लम्हों में पिरोया है ।

बहुत चाहा, कोशिश भी की
कोई और तस्वीर बन जाये इस चादर पे,
पर तेरा ही चेहरा उभर आया है ।

अब जो बन गया है, वो कभी बिखरेगा भी,
मुझे भी साथ लेगा,
ये चादर मेरा कफ़न बन गया है ।

हम

नाम सुना होगा पहले,
कोई चेहरा भी
ख्यालों के कैनवास पर उतारा होगा,
तस्वीर जब देखी होगी
या तो मायूस होगी
या ही मुस्काया होगा ।

जब आवाज़ सुनी थी पहली बार
जाने कैसे कैसे उन शब्दों को कहते हुए
मेरा चेहरा, मेरे हाथ, मेरी हँसी,
मेरे होंठ, मेरा एक - एक भाव
तुमने मेरे साथ महसूस किया होगा ।

लोगों से भी सुना,
जो मैंने किया या नहीं किया होगा ।
मेरी नज्मों को भी बार-बार पढ़ा होगा
और हर लाइन से मेरी पेंटिंग पूरी की होगी ।

मुझसे जब मिली,
तो मेरी जिस्म से ज्यादा
मेरी आखों में देखा होगा -
कहते है रूह का आईना होते हैं ।
मेरी बातों से ज्यादा
मेरी साँसों को सुना होगा ।
मेरा हाथ पकड़ कर मेरी धडकनों की
बेताबी को समझा होगा ।
मेरी मुस्कान में छिपे ग़म
और आसुओं में छलकती खुशी को भी ढूंढ निकला होगा ।

जाने तुमने क्या देखा
जाने तुमने क्या नहीं देखा होगा,
मुझसे मेरा पता पूछो तो
तुम्हारी कसम - मैं भी उतना ही बेखबर हूँ
पर जानना चाहती हो तो
ता-उम्र मेरे साथ 'हम' बनके रहना होगा ।

i don't know i guess the title isn't the best..pls suggest in comments

probability

a second here and an accident missed,
a second there and a life turns dead,
a turn it took to catch a glimpse of you in crowd,
a push to loose your hand and you.

a dream it took to sleep from 'what is'
to 'what could have been',
a nightmare to wake up to 'what is'
from 'what should have been'.

is it all due to some action-reaction of mine
or even some inaction?
or it was all planned and patterned for me to act out
only know i did not.

what is do is what i do on my own
or forced upon by some director mighty
whom should should i put it all on
lines of fate, 'karma', god or probability?

मैं

यह कैसी नींद से जगा मैं आज !
पलकें बंद करूँ या रखूं खुली
एक-सा ही लगता है सब कुछ
वक़्त भी एक-सा, भोर या गोधुली ।

कहते हैं चक्र का न आदि है न अंत
जिस बिंदु से चल पड़े वो सही
शुन्य से शुन्य का सफ़र है
जहाँ से चले थे वही मंजिल और वही पंथ ।

मैं ही मैं हूँ यहाँ, अब कोई और नहीं
माया, संसार, इस पार, उस पार
भला-बुरा, सुभ-अशुभ, पुण्य-पाप
सब अंतर, बाहर कुछ नहीं।

इनका अपना तो कोई अस्तित्व नहीं
मेरी रज़ा के मोहताज़ हैं ये
मेरे नकारने, नज़र अंदाज़ करने पे
इनकी कोई ताकत भारी नहीं ।

पर मुझपे ही मेरा सारा बोझ क्यों?
क्या ये इम्तेहान ज़रा मुश्किल नहीं ?
माना तू मेरे साथ था, है और रहेगा
फिर भी दिल में ये डर क्यों ?

aansun

शाम के दिये सी रोशन तेरी आँखों में
सुबह कि ओस सा साफ़ आंसूं कैसा है ?
जी करता है यह वहीँ रह जाता काश
ठहर जाता, जम जाता, तेरी पलकों में बंध जाता ।

पुराने किसी ज़ख्म की टीस उठी होगी
कोई ख़ुशी के लिए सीने में जगह कम पड़ी होगी
या सम्हाल के रखे किसी कागज़ पे लिखी
मेरी कोई नज़्म ही पढ़ी होगी ।

जो भी हो, बिखरने न देना,
ज़मीं पे गिरने न देना
तेरे पाक ज़ज्बातों का नाम है
मेरी तरह, तेरी आंखों में रहने देना ।

zero sum game

everything we got or bought,
will be be given or lost.
evrything we aspired for
will be received and forgotten

balanced; all deeds noble
by deeds abominable.
all innocent beauty by
all the ugly truth beneath.

all crests to be averaged
by all troughs low.
every zenith by its
respective nadir.

everyone we loved and who loved us
will be separated or left behind.
all those whom we meet will be balanced
by all those we lost.
strangers we make friends
will strike out the friends that become strangers.

at the begining was zero
and so is at the end,
all that was in between
is mere illusion my friend!!

father

i see you all the time, you see me ever,
i know i don't have to see anymore, i know;
that you are there for me, i believe.

everytime i come back, hurt and forlorn
you are there to caress and listen
and tell me 'it will also get over'

even if i act against your will and guidance
disobey and hurt you more
you forget it in a moment and hug me tighter

and correct every wrong that i may do,
hold my hand till i walk straight again
and give me formidable strength of yours.