Morning Walk

Image courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctony

Bougainvillea
white, red, pink and yellow
missing the colour purple

open sky
narrow lanes
clustered forest
fresh air

thirsty bottles walk
hand in hand
benches rest
every now and then

morning banters
breathing in and out
stretching left
stretching right
stretching front and back

sleepy nights wake up slow
young and old faces glow
in the morning sun yellow

the gypsy world travels through
the nooks and corners
mute no more
my morning walk
goes home to rest

महसूस...

कई बार किया है महसूस हमने..
इस दिल का हर दर्द सह जाना..
कई ख़्वाबों का सिकुड़ जाना और..
खुशी का आते-आते रह जाना...

सोचना की शायद मुमकिन है सब कुछ
और बस सोचते ही रह जाना...
जिनके सहारे कभी चले थे मीलों
उन हाथों को खोजते ही रह जाना...

बरसों का सफर कुछ लम्हों में तय करना
कभी वक़्त का यूँ गुजर जाना
लगा था मिट चुका है जिसका निशाँ
उस चहरे का यूँ नज़र आना

था यकीन की भर गए है ज़ख्म मगर
उन यादों का दस्तक दे जाना...
टूटे ख़्वाबों के शाखों से खेलना और
तन्हाई में गिर के बह जाना

हाँ, किया है महसूस कई बार हमने
एक उम्र का पल में मर जाना
न दूर रहना, न साथ होना किसी का
ख़ुद ही को यूँ तन्हा कर जाना

AN AFTERNOON RAIN

There's only the sound of the rain falling on the ground...

and the thunder roaring once in a while...

Hidden and safe in the comfort of my room,

I mockingly observe the world outside...

Little children dragged by their running parents

to a bus-stop or some shelter nearby...

Men running about like some drops of rain themselves,

holding their bags or newspapers or plastic bags

to shield them from getting wet in the rain...

Yet getting all soaking wet, nonetheless...

Women walking fast, tip-toeing in the rain...

covering their heads with their hands...

Serious-faced if walking alone

and giggling away if a bunch...

All the while every inanimate

and immobile living creatures

soak themselves in the rain drops...

by choice and 'out' of choice...

The benches get wet all through

in the game the rain drops play...

Each one of them vying for a dry spot

left on the benches,

till they turn wet from dry...

The leaves and the grasses, swaying

to the beats of the tiny drops of rain...

While the grasses have two left feet,

the leaves show them just how to dance...

Suddenly my smile disappeared from my face...

Wishing to get out and about

my heart didn't want to be 'hidden and safe' anymore

instead participate in the dance of the nature

and its many wonders...