गरीबी की कहानी

टिमटिमाते टिमटिमाते कभी
अँधेरे में धंस गायब हो जाते हैं
तारों पे भरोसा मत करना
जब ज़रुरत पड़ती है कतरा जाते हैं

इंसान बेचारा चाह कर भी
कुछ कहाँ कर पाता है
रात के सारे हिसाब वो रखें
उनके पास सपनों का खाता है

तो भईया लो, सारे सपने
चमकीले साहूकार गिरवी रखें
और जब डूबते दिल को ज़रुरत पड़े
दूर से चोर सारे ठेंगा दिखावें

inspired by a song from the movie ishqiya :)

wide-eyed

अजनबी आंखों में
कोई अपना सा दिखा था
मेरे सपनों का शहर
कहीं और भी दिखा था

घूरती आंखों की भीड़ में
कुछ अपनापन मिला था
कुछ जाना पहचाना सा
रेगिस्तान में ठिकाना मिला था

पर कुछ कह पाती मेरी आँखें
इस से पहले वो आँखें मुड़ गईं
मैंने तो सुनहरा सफर देखा
पर राहें कहीं और मुड़ गईं

कुछ देर ठहरा रहा मैं वहीँ
मन में कुछ सोचता रहा
घूरती आंखों की भीड़ में
वो प्यारी आँखें खोजता रहा

फ़िर एक भूली बिसरी याद
कुछ कंपा कर चली गई
जिनसे मिला था अभी मैं
वो आँखें देखीं थी मैंने पहले भी

पर इस अजनबी भीड़ में
अब वो भी अजनबी ही हैं
भीड़ वाली आंखों की तरह
वो भी बस घूरती ही हैं

तुम्हारी आंखों में कभी
मैंने ख़ुद को देखा था
जोड़ कुछ कच्चे धागे सोचा
अब अजनबी नही रहे
तुम से ख़ुद के मायने
ढूंढता मैं रह गया यहीं
अब जो तुम यहाँ नही
मैं भी मैं नही
----------------

inspired by this poem [which is much better than this one]. and the title song of socha na tha. photo by basu. i had named it 'look in my eyes'. hence its appearance in this post. ]

wanton wants

the lovely walk. and the desire to run.
the reassuring earth. and the desire for the blue sky.
the lovely embrace. and the desire to break free.
the freedom of solitude. and the desire for love.
the suffocation. and the desire for some air.
the empty arms. and the desire for something for the void.
the happiness around. and the desire to shed a tear.
the tears within. and the desire to paste a smile.
the words. and the desire for some meaning.
the truth. and the desire that it didn't mean that.
the baggage. and the desire it was lighter.
the journey ahead. and the desire that nothing was left behind.
the memories. and the desire for a clean slate.
the forgotten flashes. and the desire to hold on.
the black and white. and the desire for color.
the tired eyes. and the desire for a plainer world.

wings. and the burden on the shoulders.
wings. and the desire to fly.

I. and I.

[added after rohit's comment: the photo i ripped from some random blog i reached through some other random blog. and i forgot which one. a google image search with the file name gives five results. and i still don't remember which one it was :P]

reasons?

i'm crying.
for things i can't say.
for all the things i said.
for people i won't meet.
for people that never were.
for fleeting moments.
for moments that don't go away.
for dreams that became the stars.
for the stars i'll see alone.
for sand castles that lie broken.
for the quicksand that holds me.
for empty outstretched arms.
for loving embraces.

for the butterfly that flew away.

dream on!

and every time
i grow weary of
the winds beating my face
i look at my candle
and see how it's fighting
the winds with me
and i can open my eyes
to the strongest gales

and every time
i'm lost in the forest
stuck in a thorny embrace
bleeding and bleeding
i can see my butterfly
fluttering around me
and i can break free
to walk the stones again

and every time
the black-bricked walls and
the darkness in my heart
start drowning me
i peep out of
my white window
and i can see
my hope fairy flying by

[photo by Basu]

the 'hope fairy' is from pandora's tale. i have mentioned her previously too. here and here.

come, sit :)

आओ बैठें ज़रा
बावरे होने का फ़र्ज़
अदा कर दें
जलते सूरज को
प्यारी बातों से हंसा
चाँद को जला दें

आओ बैठें ज़रा
कि पार्क की ये बेंच
बड़ी अकेली लग रही है
इसकी बातें सुन
कल फिर आने का
वादा कर लें

आओ बैठें ज़रा
बहुत दूर जाना है
थोडा सुस्ता लें
माना इंतज़ार कर रही
पर रास्ते को भी
थोडा चिढा दें

आओ बैठें ज़रा
तितलियों के पंखों की
आवाजें सुन लें
जाने कब से
ये हमारी वाली तितली
कुछ कहना चाह रही है

आओ बैठें ज़रा
गोल घूमती दुनिया के
गोल घूमते लोगों से
थोडा दूर जा कर
अपनी अलग दुनिया बसा
उसमें गोल घूमें

आओ बैठें ज़रा
कि चलते हैं हम तो
तेरी आँखें नहीं दिखतीं
बड़ा जतन कर
तुम्हे हंसाता हूँ तो
हंसी नहीं दिखती

[photo by Basu]

[inspired by various sources: this xkcd comic; two and a half men season 6, episode 15; some 'jhoom barabar jhoom' songs'; and various others :P]

the water cycle

every day i wake up
and say to myself
i wouldn't think of you

then things happen
and even though i don't want
i remember

i talk to you
and tell you everything
all in my mind

i have you around me
all the shiny stars
in my small starry sky

and before i know it
i'm thinking of you
all through the day

every day i got to bed
crying to myself
thinking of you

supply-demand gap

i wonder why
the shooting stars
never dry up
every time i think
i'm done with dreaming
there's a shooting star
burning through the sky
asking for a wish

i once thought
i'd had too many already
and i wouldn't wish
upon the shooting star
but then it hung right there
stuck in the sky
helpless, puppy-eyed
looking at me
and i had to

so i became the wanderer
running away
from wish-hungry stars
i know it's foolish
trying to run away
from the sky above
but i have to

each wish is a candle
i have to keep lit
and protect from
all the winds and rains
and even though
i have a stupid heart
to wish on every star
but for all those candles
i only have two hands

[image by Crazy]

miscommunication

उसे घेर बैठे
तकते रहे रात भर
सुबह मुंह लटकाए
चले गए अपने घर
चाँद ने सोचा उन्हे
कहने की ज़रूरत नही
तारे सोचते रहे उसने
कुछ कहा क्यों नही

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

अनकही बातों का
सूनापन लादे
चलने का दर्द
सहा नही जाता
कहते हैं
कह देने से
ना कह पाने का
गम नही सताता

-----

unsaid

so, what's your story?

why do you think i should have a story?

so you're saying you don't have one?

i didn't say that!

that means you have one!

i didn't say that either!!

ha ha! i caught you there, didn't i?

but seriously, why do you think i have a story?

there's a faraway look in your eyes. like you're searching for someone else in me.

really, is it that evident?

i wouldn't have known otherwise, would i?

what if there is no story and i'm still searching for someone else?

you would have told me then, i think. among all the nonsense we've talked about.

so you mean to say i'm hiding something?

not hiding exactly. it's just a story that's stuck with you and refuses to go away.

hmm...

so are you going to tell me?

some other day, maybe.

you know, you don't need to.

thank you for that.