AIN SHEEN QAAF

Ain

Jaane kitne hi pardo ke pare

Baithe hain wo la-haasil 

Bulaate hain bar bar

Kehte hain hai ‘Tu’ haasil 

Main dekhti hun dhoop ko chadhte hue

Zabarwan ko jalte hue

Chand ko pahadon ke peeche

ahista ahista mit te hue

Aankhon ki nami Dal mein utar jaati hai

Unki yaad bhi Jhelum le jaati hai

Haathon mein chorh jaati hai

Chand sookhe chinar ke patte 

Jaane kitne hi pardo ke pare… 

Sheen

Vaadi mein har baras pad jaati hai

Nau-sheen, nayi sheen, taaza baraf 

Har shai dafn ho jaati hai zinda hi

Zamistaan rooh pe bhi aata hai

Dhak jaati hai jism pe ugti ghaas

Nigaah pe dhund aa padti hai

Aur ungliyaan tanhaayi se jam jaati hain

Baraf ki hazaar parton ke neeche 

Phir bhi maujood hai tera dil

Mere lams ki garmi mein pighal jayega

Pahaad sheen ka beh ke jhelum mein hi ayega

Mausam azlat ka ek din dhal jayega

Qaaf

Qaaf bahot gehra hai

Zabaan se nahin gale se aata hai

Humein lagta hai kuch leliya gaya humse 

Asal mein humein kuch diya jaata hai

Apne is dil ki raah mein 

Sab kuch chadhaawa hai

Ye but doodh nahin peeta 

Isko khoon bhaata hai

Ye anginat nadiyaan jo behti hain mujhmein 

Inka sirf aur sirf ek saahil hai

Usi saahil ki ret tere aansu hain

Usi saahil ki lehrein teri saansein

Qaaf se aati hai jo qayamat to aane do

Tera aur mera ek hi kinaara hai

Ek hi buzurg ka haath hai hum par 

Unhi ki dua ka ye ishaara hai

Chale aao ain se aage

Sheen mein dhasenge paon beshak 

Main Qaaf pe maujood hun, waqt hamara hai…

Artwork - Zuriya_

A Cosmic "meet cute"

 Once in a blue moon

There is a full bodied yellow moon

Rising into the sky like a lark

A solitary firefly, a tiny spark

Only when the night ascends

And the dark upon us descends

Do we see the moon is not alone

A million companions

A big fat wedding

A joint family

A rave

An empty but fully packed space

My favourites are green tailed comets

And the moons of other moons

Primordial clouds shaped like dreams

Concealing collapsing galaxies

Or dying stars and their screams

You and I are none of the above

For it is once in a blue moon

That space enthusiasts discover

Two black holes circling each other

Defying all known laws of physics

Dancing the first waltz of mystery

Like death we can only witness

We can only marvel and see

Two sifars when they meet

Collide together like bubbles

And for a brief moment

They become an eight — 8

Just for a second an infinity — ♾️

Everything rare is also abundant

For it holds within it a unique taste

Fourteen years from now

There will be another blue moon

And then another and another

The true miracle is the black hole

and not the blue moon

And we’re two whirling black holes;

two wonders

Forever and ever trying to embrace

Tied to each other with gravitational grace

A dear friend tells me

That the poets spoke of gravity

Before the scientists did

He may be right

For the lovers spoke of union

Before the holy men did.

OFFERING

A branch of red flowers

A glass of water

A lock of my hair

The rustling of leaves

The bird on my sil

The singing river

A torn page

A half eaten sandwich

A cigarette stub

A handful of pearls

A couple of coins

A melody from yesteryears

The wind on the ocean

The still intact dandelion

The feather of a bird

The rumbling dark clouds

The sand on my skin

The muddied puddles

A day in remembrance

A journey together

A night of love

A prayer

A smile

A kiss

A dance together