Empty wine glass
Stale pizza
Cold naked toes
Sun left me lightless

Fridge is road-trip distance
Further to the sock drawer
Light switch is moons away
Remote earns its name

Where is my alacrity,
my willingness,
my zeal?

I’ve misplaced all my fervour,
ardour,
gusto,
warmth,
and spark

My promptness
and avidity
are now in
blue lividity

No relish,
bright celerity,
or genial rapidity

Just me
and stale pizza
--lamenting

Gone too soon
My lost sparkle

Minutes and Moments
Precious and prevailing
Dares me to steal from you
At least a second from each
To relish an hour in paradise
And turn a single day with you
Into a memory for life…
It will remain a wish always ….!!

बूढ़ा हो चुका हूँ ।
अभी भी
मन के भीतर
गंगा जमुनी तहज़ीब का
जुनून बरकरार है ।
भीतर की मानसिकता
घुटने टेकने
क्षमा मांगने वाली रही है ,
फलत:अब तक
मार खाता रहा हूँ ।

अभी अभी
पहलगाम का
दुखांत सामने आया है ,
जिसने मुझे
मेरे अंत का मंज़र
दिखाया है।
अगर अब भी इस
गंगा जमुनी तहज़ीब के
जाल में फंसा रहा
तो यकीनन बहेलिए के
जाल में ,
उस द्वारा फेंके गए
दानों के लोभ में
ख़ुद को फंसा हुआ पाऊंगा,
कभी छूट भी नहीं पाऊंगा।
बस उस के जाल में
फड़फड़ाता रह जाऊंगा।
शाम तक
रात के भोजन का
निवाला बनने के निमित्त
हांडी पर पकाया जाऊंगा।
यह ख्याल
अभी अभी
जेहन में आया है।
मुझे शत्रु बोध की
अनुभूति होनी चाहिए।
मुझे मिथ्या सहानुभूति
कतई नहीं चाहिए।
कब तक अबोध बना रहूंगा ?
बूढ़ा होने के बावजूद
बच्चों सा तिलिस्मी माया जाल में
फंसा हुआ तिलमिलाता रहूंगा।
कब मेरे भीतर शत्रु बोध पैदा होगा ?
.... और ‌मैं अस्तित्व रक्षा में सफल रहूंगा।
आप भी अपने भीतर शत्रु बोध  को जागृत कीजिए।
अपने प्रयासों से जिजीविषा को तीव्रता से अनुभूत कीजिए।
सुख समृद्धि और सम्पन्नता से नाता जोड़ लीजिए।
२९/०४/२०२५.

Poetry is my release of emotions,
Into a world of words where I feel understood.

i am not a poet,

nor am i a poem.

i am not a writer,

nor a book.

i am not a painter,

nor a painting.

i am not a sculptor,

nor a sculpture,

i  am not the artist,

nor the muse.

i am an idea,

that exists

only

in your imagination

I stand.







In the middle of my lounge room.
Not wanting to sit,
In case I crease
My cream linen suit
I just so tirelessly
Ironed.

We trailed through the moonlit road
As I wiped the tears that streamed my face—
Everything was calm, everything was serene
It felt like we were passing by a city
That had long fallen to deep slumber;
Where had once all the rushing cars had gone,
Back and forth, non-stop, as their engines rattled
With much desperation, pleading to rest.

Step by step, we slowed our pace, feeling the cool breeze shying from us
As we came to a halt.
The leaves ruffled, still, and the stars twinkled brighlty.
Everything seemed to come together in perfect harmony.
It all felt quite bizzare yet astounding;
quite frightening yet calming;
quite gloomy yet comforting.
It was unlike anything I've ever experienced before–
Perhaps my heart and mind had finally been at peace
And that the turmoil inside had faded into nonexistence.

• ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ •
Who knew that what a known-to-be ordinary walk
Could turn into a magnificent, almost magical cure-
A cure for the mind that's filled with cloudy thoughts,
And a cure for the heart filled with pain and faults.
But what had truly made things better was..
Having you by my side amidst the whole tranquility
The entire scenery might have felt mysteriously unreal to me
But your presence was my reminder that it was all reality.
• ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ •