to stop you mid-laughter,
and drink your smile off
your lips, as you reek of alcohol.

I wish to taste you neat,
while your devour me whole!

-

how words tasted,
when flowing from
my lips to yours?

Nectar of the fruit of life,
Elixir of existence!

While, the last ones that
came out of you,
sting of a venomous snake,
noise of a life-giving device, beeping,

taking every last ounce of life,
the final breath from inside of me!

-

Mountains, I believe, are huggers.
Hard to let go.

I mean who won’t get tired of standing alone and strong,
all the time?!

-

A park bench,
where two lives were dreamed of,
is visited alone.

-

And my skin glistened with desires.

His touch, on me, was ecstasy,
My morals were big fat liars.

The norms of the world blurred,
as out eyes shut out, in union.

Our moans hit the highest note,
our bodies danced to our own tunes.

-

I love flowers.
I have pots at home, but mostly greens.
Over the years, I tried to grow flowers, different kinds, many varieties.
But, the sunlight and conditions at my home
don’t let them bloom, not for long.
I kept trying, failing.

Then, I started to accept it and appreciated others’ gardens and nurseries, smiled at them, smelled the flowers, took pictures. Seldom plucking.

I’m not talking about flowers.
Well, not entirely.

-

मुझसे खोया मेरा इश्क़ कुछ ऐसे,
एक शायर से उसकी ग़ज़ल खो गई हो जैसे

लफ़्ज़-ओ-हर्फ़ कुछ यूँ गूँजते हैं ज़हन में,
उसकी यादों का कोई कारवाँ हो जैसे

हर आदमी कुछ यूँ है इस भीड़ में,
पूनम की रात में तन्हा चाँद हो जैसे

यूँ रिसते हैं ज़ख़्म गुज़रे वक्त के मानो
अभी ताज़ा चोट लगी हो जैसे

मैंने शिकवे पाले हैं दिल में इस तरह
गुलशन की निगरानी में बाग़बाँ हो जैसे

-

कोई तो समेट ले आकर अब इन टुकड़ों को
जगह कम पड़ रही है, मेरे टूटे हिस्सों को बिखरने में

-

साथ लेते आना वो टुकड़े
जो मुझसे टूट कर तुम्हारे साथ चल दिए थे ।

मैं फिर कभी पूरा हुआ ही नहीं,
तेरे जाने का दर्द मुझसे कभी
जुदा हुआ ही नहीं ।

-

“I looked up at the sky,
and found the fragments of my being,
twinkling, shining up the dark night.”

“You mean, the stars?”

“No! The little parts of me, that
everyone took away, along, as they left!”

-