208. Aa gaya

dil mera nayi tajveez koi aazamaane aa gaya

kooche me mere phir koi sukoon ganwaane aa gaya

dekhne mujhko deewana, aata hai dar pe har pahar

mahak utha mehfil hai - dekho, phir muskuraane aa gaya?

maasoom in dilchaspiyon ka bas main nahin kaayal yahaan

main kam-z-kam dhoondhoon sabab, wo bin bahaane aa gaya

ham-nasl nahin wo, lafz-o-lahje uske kuch judaa se hai

phir mujhe mehfil me apni zubaan banaane aa gaya

khwahishon ke kaafile khatm ho bhi to kaise, bata

ek armaan bujha nahin aur ek lubhaane aa gaya

wo gaya tha dareecho pe pehnaake peela aasmaan

din dhala to mujhme phir thodi shab bitaane aa gaya

khwaabeeda lamhon me guftagu ka lagta hai shaukeen bada

rah rahke neendon me naye naqshe bichaane aa gaya

kaash waaqif hota aashiq, muhabbat waqfe leti nahin

daayron me yaaden bhar bharke faasle bujhaane aa gaya

jab dekhta hai woh mujhe, uth-ta hai khaabon sa dhuaan

phoonk phoonk-ke wo apne naqsh-e-nigaah mitaane aa gaya

pyaas pala hoga bahut paimaanon ki talaash me

mere labon par, dilbar, apna munh jalaane aa gaya

--------------------------------------------------------------------

guzarte mausam ko karna nahin tha aahon me gumraah yun

apne mausam ke bichde hisse, aasmaan uthaane aa gaya

207. Monotony

let me out
let me out
I have been this restless
for quite a while

let me shout
let me shout
from my steel fortress
of a fake smile

I see no
hope
nor consequence

I seek no
shape
and no substance

my fortress -
it dodges accidents
which I seek around corners

but I want one (so bad)
I want a navy blue
denim clad accident
to break open
the padlock
to get over
this bad shock

I want to sleep
and sob
and stretch
and swear
Oh!
I want an accident so bad

and I am not alone...
they are so many around
in this crowded city of electronic sounds

but there are more rules than tools
and there just aren't enough fools

how will I ever find an accident
stuck in this city of
airconditioning and airsickness
traffic signals and tragic chivalry
?

let me shout
let me shout
from my steel fortress
of a fake smile

let me out
let me out
I have been this restless
for quite a while

206. Dodging Alliterative Exclamations

I am aware
I am awake

But let me ignore
the knocks on the old oak door

Let me ponder instead
about
the convenience of prejudice
the uncertainty of emotion
the sanctity of stupidity
the reliability of dreams & dead-ends
the ambiguity of dynamics
(and the dynamics of ambiguity,
if I may)

Let me pretend there is more
to this evening than mere sighing bliss
Let me paint a little pain
Let me amuse myself
Let me marvel

What lies beyond that oak door
but happiness?!
Well, they say
I am already as happy as they come

So let me ignore the knocks for a change

Let them wait -
the thoughts of
porn and projectiles
paandus and piñacoladas

Let them wait-
the alliterative afternoons
with nondescript happy endings
(& snappy 'bending's)

Let them wait
It's been a while
since I traded words for gasps

You still ask me why?
Did you not notice that
for many a month now
happiness has been the pain in the ass?!

You know what I mean!

-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
While we are on alliteration,
Voluptuously virile V**** valiantly verbalized various vagaries vindictively!
Sexy sweetie S********* somnambulantly saunters streetwise singing slokas somberly!!

:D :D :D :D

But of course I did not come up with them.
I do not possess such talent, do I? They just inspired me to explore alliterative alternatives! :P

205. Security Check

No,
I should not have packed them;
and now the guards
are going through
my luggage-
scanning through all
the unfinished conversations
I stuffed in my suitcase

I can sense their smirks
behind their straight faces

I should not have packed them-
all those embarrassing conversations
But I did!

I was in a hurry!!

-----------------------------
Until a while ago
my city of yesterdays
was sequestered

the city
where
I stood by the tracks
and waved at trains passing by -
trains of thought
full of stories
with blurred faces

the city
where
the sky was wide
and wept too much;
and words flew down
to dance on my terrace

the city
where
I sowed smiles
by the side of blue evenings
and by dawn,
the streets would be abuzz
with laughter

the city
that knew
no ketchup
or aerated drinks
or accidents
or running water

yes,
the city was sequestered;
but now
it is open for me to return.
---------------------------------------------

I had to hurry
in my bathroom slippers
and an unpressed shirt;
but in my city,
they never notice these things!

So I hurried,
only to find all the tickets
to yesterday are booked
All the roads are jammed
All the flights are full

So yet again,
I booked
a round trip to noise

I will drown in the din again
and maybe this time,
discover my pseudonym

If only they let me go

A few sighs more
and the flight will take off-
but they are still scanning
through my unfinished conversations

-------------------------------------
Culture Shock - the much needed vacation!

204. All in the name of...

I think I will charm
the maverick moon –
the one that hangs high
when he is in the mood

I will roll him a joint
and sit with him on a branch;
I will wait for him to pass out,
but then you know why?!

I am in love with a werewolf
& so I have not a choice,
but to pin up the moon
on my bedroom window sill.

So I think I will charm
the maverick moon -
the one that hangs high
when he is in the mood
--------------------------
:) :) :) :) :)
Are dinosaurs extinct?
Are werewolves mythical??!
:) :P :D

203. Khat

sochta hoon
khat me ik nazm likhke
tumhe mere khayaal
tohfe me bhej doon

likh doon

kaise
har subah
main tumhare sapne sambhaalke,
utaarta hoon aankhon se
aur takiye ke neeche
chhipa deta hoon
(haan,
wahi khaab,
jo betaab se kaanpte rahte hain
aankhon me raat bhar
aur kabhi kabhi
din ke beech-o-beech)

kaise
intezaar me
lamhon ka hisaab lagaata hoon
to pahron pe shikan se ban jaate hain

kaise
main ajnabi lafzon se
rishte jodta rahta hoon
judaa se lahje pahanke
nikalta hoon
aaj kal har kahin

kaise
khwahishon ke kaafile
ummeed liye mere dar khade rahte hai
jab din ke paar utarta hoon
to us paar bhi mil jaate hai

kaise
hawaayen saazish kar jaate hain
aur jab main bekhud sa baitha rahta hoon
baraamde me
to tumhari mahak sa bikher dete hain

kaise
muhabbat se fursat nahin milti

kaise
rooth-ne ko jee karta hai
ke tumhare khayaal
ik chote waqfe ko bhi
tanha nahin chodte mujhe

sochta hoon
mere haal-o-harkat
alfaazon me baandhke
bhej doon tumhe ik khat me

mujhe pata hai
tum mujhse bandhi
lafzon ke gaant
khol nahin paaoge

mujhe pata hai...
tum bas mujhe phone karoge
aur udaas sa chehra banate hue kahoge
"Sweetie, you know I can't read Hindi"

par mujhe ye bhi pata hai,
ke tum apne fridge pe lagaake
yaa apne jeb me rakh-ke
is khat ko dekhoge
baar baar shab-o-roz;
aur chuu-chuu ke
is peeli si kaagaz ko
mera naam loge
aur muskuraaoge...

bas isi liye sahi,
sochta hoon
aaj tumhe ik khat likh doon
-----------------------------------
Like I said earlier,
Bezubaan bhi nahin, hamzubaan bhi nahin
guftagu kya kare tu yahaan bhi nahin!!

202. Padosi

phir se darwaaze band kar jaaye koi
band kamre me kahaaniyaan
bikhri rahen

ranjishein parose ek mausam
aur guftagu ke chand cheente
chidak jaaye khaamosh deewaron pe

sulagte se
do kadam faaslon me
ek jazbaat chadhata tha
dheemi si aanch pe

woh rasm ik rishta tha
jiska naam kabhi mila hi nahin

sulagte se
do kadam faaslon me
jo baat thi
meelon ki dooriyon
me wo baat kahaan?

phir se chulhe pe
ubalne ko
pahren chadha de koi

ghar pe taale lagaake
nikalta hoon har savere
phir har subah
kuch taraana gungunaake
tasavvur pe chod jaaye koi

mujhe phir se jhagadna hai
phir se dekhne hai daraawne tasveeren
aur bedaar baithna hai raaton me
phir se besabab gappe ladaane hain
phir se taane maarne hai
kisi na kisi ko
har shaam

thodi si peeli roshni ke parde
pahnaa jaaye
aur eent ke is bakse ko
phir ghar banaa jaaye koi

mujhe khule darwaazon
ki aadat nahin rahi
phir se bagal wale kamre ka darwaaza
band kar jaaye koi

---------------------------------
well, yes - miss is happening!!

201. Frayed Thoughts

Sometimes things change! taking off from Cotton Thoughts !!!

-----------------------------
The seamstresses scout for the satin smile
while thoughts fray
& the last few grains of sand in the hourglass
remain slaves to arithmetic

I look out of my window
You look at your sky
We patch it up
with blue
pieces of conversation
the blue in my heart
the blue in your eyes
the blue of the sky...

When I refuse to move,
I smell of you.
I was still when I began.
I am,
still.

Art is still my chosen pastime

None else would
weigh this silence
weigh the sky
weigh your sight
weigh my smile;
aren't they all nothing?

Art is the pastime of a desperate heart

& to kill hours in desperation
while I sit still,
I
don stone deaf metaphors
so you can catch me unaware
& unwrap words
to find tremulous blanks underneath
for you to fill with love bites!
---------------------------------------

Yes, intolerable miss is happening off!!!

200. Unusual Winter

You have left
a winter
on my trail
unlike any I have seen before!

each night
while the trees dance
in the cool silvery breeze
and shed
their crisp yellow leaves
you visit me

I shed
two strands of dreams
on your pillow
and a dozen inhibitions
in your bed

and at dawn
I find
a heap of star dust
in my backyard

while you toss
restlessly
in your sleep
each night
does your sky
shed
stars too?!

Is your winter
as unusual as mine?!

199. The Tippler

there always is
some rum in her glass
and some scandal on her trail

while the rest of the world
opens eyes
each morning
to a new day
with stale hope

she stirs from her sleep
to a new past
each noon
and unwraps the night gone by
with obscene anticipation

but then
she has always been one
to turn her back
on rules;
or so they say

she refuses to plan

plans are such addictive armours
against accidents.
it is a shame-
people plan

accidents are such charming things.
the pleasant ones kill cynicism
and make futile memories,
and the unpleasant ones-
they make for such appetizing gossip
over alcohol

and thus
she dances on

while each night
adds some more red to her cheeks
and some more adjectives to her stories

while each night
gifts some more snickers
to her dwindling set of denouncers
and sends some more admirers to the grave

she dances on

what does it say of her
if intoxication
is the mainstay of her immense appeal
and sobriety?
Oh, of that, one has not heard much!

what does it say of her
if intoxication turns her into a celebrity
and sobriety, a celibate?

what does it say of her
and what does it say of the world?!

---------------------------------------------

She still knows not what she did last night! :P :P

198. Uljhan

maine kabhi
ik nazm ka haath
saunp diya tha
kisi musaafir khayaal ke haathon me

woh musaafir to
nazm ko mere yahaan chodke
ab kuch laapata sa ho gaya
aur woh nazm ab bhi
mere dil me baithi hai

kabhi kabhi jee karta hai
main is nazm ko
kisi aur khayaal ke sang
byaah doon

par main kisiki dulhan ko
kisi aur ke saath
bhej bhi doon
to kaise?

is uljhan me
main us gumshuda khayaal ke lautne ka
intezaar karta hoon
shab-o-roz

aaj subah bhi
main phir yun hi
us khayaal ko khojne nikal hi raha tha
ke mere dil me baithi nazm ne kaha -

"abe o nikamme shaayar,
bahut hua!
apne tahriir ka joda pahnaake
mujhe kisi na kisi khayaal ke saath
ab to kisi kaagaz me bithake
bidaa kar de

kise pata
woh mera shauhar khayaal
kabhi lautega bhi ke nahin

nautanki band kar
aur jaldi mere liye
dooja dulha khayaal dhoondh!

kyun 'drama' kar raha hai?
apne liye to
kabhi 'monogamy' me
'believe' hi nahin kiya!

bas mere paas aakar
'moral science' shuroo?"

197. shaq

khaab the

woh betaab se

the machalte

jal gaye

raakh mal gaye

jalte jalte

aag kisne lagaayi

jaan kaise ganwaayi

kya pata

kya pata

tu tha yaa woh thi, aawaaz jiski suni thi

kya pata

khayaal the yaa ham the, mausam tha ya roshni thi

kya pata

gunehgaar laapata

aetbaar laapata

phir bhi sab se sab mile

ab mile tab mile

jaane kab kab mile

haule haule shab chile

par besabab se lab khile

silsile phir chale

dil jale mar chale

woh kaun tha

kya pata

-------------------------

roshan se shab aur sahar siyaah nikle

kya kahe aabaad ya tabaah nikle

kab se mushq-e-rooh gum hai

ab to ashq-o-aah nikle

kyun bhala

kya pata

-------------------------

tauba ki jagah ab to waah waah nikle

muqadama chala, saare begunaah nikle

qaazi gumraah nikle?

qaatil khud gawaah nikle?

kya hua

kya pata

-------------------------

gunehgaar laapata

aetbaar laapata

phir bhi sab se sab mile

ab mile tab mile

jaane kab kab mile

haule haule shab chile

par besabab se lab khile

haqeeqaton ke kaafilen

jise mile mar chale

woh kaun tha

kya pata

196. Embarrassment

I am allowed to indulge myself!!!
(nose in the air and looks away and recites)
------------------------------------------------
aeroplane
aeroplane
shame and pain
not again

window seat
window seat
close your eyes
and be discreet

chief chief
cake'o'beef
country thief
oh what grief?!

shake a leg
shake a leg
ostrich egg
tries to beg

ogle ogle
giggle giggle
oh my god! why
did i wriggle?!

brief brief
handkerchief
no fig leaf
disbelief

felt the heat
felt the heat
neither could i join
nor could i beat!

not again
shame and pain
aeroplane
aeroplane

195. entropy

a hint of vitriol
a glimpse of violet
two seasons of a sun soaked in
a sea of many scented shades

no

seldom are such riots - by design;
the inconsequential precursor may have been.

else
would algorithms not have spurred romance
and levers -
would they not have spawned love?

but well,
they do not!

not thought through too well,
i agree;
nonetheless
history has always been
but an afterthought

sigh!

194. Chambalimericks - I

yet again I am off to chambal
wrapping myself in a warm kambal
all I want is a daaku
brandishing his chaaku
who would come use me for a dumble

but well, there are none in Morena*
no daakus shooting in the arena
And I'll jus sit and grumble
under my breath I'll mumble
daaku ke bina yahaan jee kare na!
---------------------------
*My current client location, bah!

193. Gaye

gaye gaye chale gaye
saath saare maamle gaye

palate bhi to do pal ko bas
muskuraake jaan le gaye

unke aane ki tayyariyon me
manzar sabhi badle gaye

aaye to dekha saare naqsh
bure gaye. bhale gaye.

ab to gayi nazdeekiyaan
saath saath faasle gaye

kiya bhi hai to kya kiya
mile. gaye. mile. gaye.
....
thande kaandhon se the gile
ummeed hai gile gaye
....
No no... false alarm in previous post.. season's good and so am I!!
:D :D :D

192. Halloween

Of pumpkin lamps and pauper kings
candy wrappers & tramps & paper wings
and though I'm told all are lies and more
the hope does stay

i make signs and mime for all to see
none notices; all see through me
but still i'm sure if i try some more
they will look away

make polite sounds and drink their martinis
look in disdain and enquire what this is
they act like they've got some strange disease
now can't you say?

i never wished to play the game to lose
coz i clearly can't see the use
but i have not found the words to refuse
not till today
----------------------------------------
My annual bad mood time is here! Beware!!

191. Horcrux

ignorance is bliss
sometimes;
sometimes,
just a convenience

How many have died silent
excavating the relics of silence?

How many others
have been been convicted
for sacrilege?

and the nights, they fray
holding on tight
and the days try to slay
the invincible

do not seek the secret
to the silence
that parades by my dreams

i live safe in fetters
inside the cold tomb
pronouncing
visitors guilty

do not seek the secret
for once you know,
i will be no more.

190. tu tu main main

SB:

teri ik aawaaz ki chahat thi,
tune aawaaz de di hoti to
maine apni jaan de di hoti

Sri:

ijaazat ki intezaar me murjha gayi na jaane kitne hi shab
betalab dastak de jaate to sukoon kuch kam nahin milti!!

SB:

masha alla, kya likha hai

Sri:

kuch aur farmaiye kuch aur farmaiye
jo kaha hi nahin, uspe gaur farmaiye

SB:

yahaan to apni shaam ka anjaam karte hai,
aye mere kalam padhne wale tere dar se khali haath jate hai

Sri:

:)

SB:

aye khuda yun zulum na dikha,
bas apni ek zalak to dikha ja

Sri:

mushkil hi sahi kuch der ye faasle rahne de
tadap tadap ke khwahishein bujhaana sikhaa doon tumhe

SB:

aaj saqi hi bol raha hai
dard-o-gum ko bhul ja
par mera sahara na le

Sri:

saaqi se gila na kar zaalim ke
gunaahgaar yahaan aur bhi hain
pyaale me pyaas bhar bhar ke de
aise yaar yahaan aur bhi hain

189. Sawaal

1.

ghar se nikla to sadak pe
kuch noorani muskaan
bikhre pade the

kya tum
meri gali se hoke nikle the?!

2.

tumhare zahan ki zameen
bahut chikni hai

main apni itni yaadein
tumhare kitne vaade
rakhta hoon
wahaan baar baar

aur wo!
wo thaharte hi nahin

har baar
phisalke nikal jaate hain

aise me
tum hi batao
main kya karoon?!