World will have to wait

Sheepishly, 
Little paws
Ventured out
Beyond the known

Gate swung open
To reveal another world
No chew sticks
No flavoured bones

There he stood
Wavering and unsure
On the very edge of his entire world
at the open portal, the open gate

held back by fears
it stayed rooted
There is a world out there
And it would have to wait

The wet grass and the feet of sun

गीले घास पर

पड़े जब नंगे पैर

लगा जैसे

धरती से जुड़ गया हूँ

ओस की ठंडक जैसे

मुझमें घुलने लगी

भीनी भीनी सी

सुबह की धूप भी

आसमानों से जैसे

उसी वक़्त आ पहुँची

उसकी गर्माहट

कुछ नया एहसास

लेके आयी है

खून के सात घुल कर

दिलों की धड़कन

और साँसों में समायी है

कुछ कदम जो चले साथ

हम एक हो गये

उस बगीचे में

बस रह गया

एक महकता

सुंदर एहसास

Scratches on the Disc…and I dance

Scratches 
on the disc
Form Concentric Ruts

They play
What they heard
No ifs, no buts

The grooves
linger long
Deeper, it gets

Happiness
Eludes
Deeper regrets

The disc
Rotates
Needle rides along

Scratch by scratch
Plays
The preset song

Old song plays
memories paralyse
Mind stuck in past

Eyes well up
heart aches
Poison surges fast

Shake of the head
Shrug of the shoulder
Breaks the crippling trance

Yes, it’s just a song
Why shouldn’t
There be a new dance

And then
We danced
With not a care

Making new ruts
Louder ones, and no way not in tune
For
I simply couldn’t care