My first name
given by my parents
echoed
their aspirations
but now it has meaning
attached
to who I am
and not
what it means
I
make the name
and not the name
makes
Me
And then she had grown

And then
She had grown
Her tiny feet
Went beyond the cradle
Kicking away the warm rug
I gently placed it back
And then
She had grown
Her little hands
Waved back
She entered the schools gate
I waited a bit longer
And then
She had grown
Her eloquent voice
Recited the poem nice
She bowed as they clapped
I clapped the loudest
And then
She had grown
Her twinkling eyes
Searched for us
She glowed in glory
There in the crowd
My eyes welled with pride
And then
She had grown
Its her birthday
I whisper wishes to the sky
There far away
she looks up and smiles
And then
She had grown
Kites in the Sky

रंग बिरंगी
ढेर सारी पतंग
कुछ कटी हुई
और कुछ
ऊँचाइयों को छूती हुई
जो डोर से बंधी थी
वो उड़ रही थी
जो कट गई थी
वो हवा के साथ
बहती जा रही थी
जब थक उड़ान थी
पतंग पर हर की आस थी
कट जाने पर
अगले पतंग की तलाश थी
कन्नी कस कर तैयार किया
और आसमान को भर दिया
आसमान रंगीन था
भरा हुआ था
उन रंगीन पतंगों से
काग़ज़ और बांस से बने
कुछ कटे हुए
और कुछ नीले आसमान को छुए हुए
I lost to myself

My happy clock

I had a clock as a kid
which did not work
not even a bit
I mean
for which
time never passed
not even a tick
what a useless clock
a worthless piece of metal
you would say
but for me it was dear
with whom
I would spend
my entire day
A day would end
but for us
it would stay still
then I grew
but it stayed same
timeless and still
I do remember it
for we spent together
many a happy time
it wasn’t as useless
as everyone thought
because it had a happy chime
The play act

You are the sea, I am the sun
The sea
Tranquil and at ease
Aware of the shimmering mirage
On its restless waves
From it’s warmth
It felt the sun
Why? it wondered
And asked the the warm one
While you play among my waves
you turn me
Into a cloud
Answer me oh mighty Sun!
Why may I ask
Do I drift as a cloud in the breeze
Cover the sky
And mask your light
Turn dark and broody
As I clump into one
Why do I split then
into many and fall
Splashing on pavements and grass
just when I was
Happy in a cloud
Having my little fun
Why do I suffer
the pain
As I fall as rain
And flow over rocks
Scouring to make my own path
Always on the run
Why do I tire
get polluted
By my own doing, or of other’s sin
I feel sluggish and filthy
When I reach my end
When I am done
There in the end
I am back where I started
Starting from me
Pouring out back into me
I live this cycle over and over again
Aren’t you the one to blame,
O mighty Sun
Fiery yet calm
Sun spoke through the rays
of the pristine dawn.
I float in the dark emptiness
Throwing out light
From here, everything I can see
I burn
Holding the raging fire
In my bosom
the turmoil within
In the light and the heat
Is there for everyone to see
Oh serene one
Only you
turn into mist
At my touch
the mountains remain
The plants grow
flowers smile in glee
My fiery rays
feel balmy warm
embraced by all it touches
Some flourish, some wilt
Each one guided
By their nature, none are free
I am not to be blamed
Neither I claim any fame
It’s for them to wilt or flourish
I don’t nourish
neither punish
It is for me to just burn
You are
the cloud, rain and the river
Wistful, flowing and wet
change is your nature
Yet always
Into the sea you return
We are both
cursed and blessed
You evaporate
I burn
You are the sea
I am the sun

Haan, Abhi wala mauka sahi hai
लोग हैं, तो रिश्ते हैं
रिश्ते हैं, तो ख़लिश भी
कोई ग़लत है
तो कोई सही भी
इस भीड़ में कहीं
एक हंसी छिपी थी
अभी अभी तो
इन आँखों में
उसकी चमक दिखी थी
चलो, उसे ढूँढते हैं
करें कब शुरुआत
ये सोचते हैं
है मौक़े बहुत
पर कौनसा मौक़ा सही है
ये जो अभी वाला मौक़ा है
उसमें क्या कमी है
हाँ, मौक़े बहुत हैं
बस वक़्त की तो कमी है

Dancing into the New Year
It’s going to be new year tomorrow.
In next one day,
we will move a year.
It seems like that,
but is not true.
It’s an end of a year
apparently, but it is equally untrue
And a beginning, it seems
But it is as much,
as any next day
But what, it truly is
It is an occasion
To rejoice with friends and family
To celebrate this lovely confluence
Of an end and a beginning
So I am going to go dancing
into the new year
Grateful for each day
of the last year
To have taught me a new lesson
To make me older yet wiser,
Richer, in experience
Poorer, in regrets
To get me here
So that I can reach there
Into the new day
And be the newer me

Lighter than feather

No grudge, no regrets
Lighter than feather it weighs
Empty heart flies free
