प्यासी धरती करे पुकार

धूपमें तप के हो गई हूं मैं, जलता हुआ अंगार; कहे बिचारि यह धरा

चाहिए अब मुझे ठंडी ठंडी बौछार, और श्रृंगार सुंदर और हरा

नदियाँ हो रही है मेरी खाली, और सागर  पानी से खूब है उभरा

सालभरकी प्यास बुझाने मेघराजको मैंने है, किया पुकार

आकाशको की है मिन्नतें हज़ार, जी भरके खोल दे आज तेरे द्वार

जी भर के मुझपे बरसना आज, सुन ले, इस धरतिने है तुझे पुकारा

ऐ हवा, लाना तू  बदरीयां काली, ओ बदरी बरसा जा जल की धारा

आत्मा है मेरी प्यासी, तृप्त कर दे तू मुझे आज, कर दे मुझे हरा, ओ मेरे यारा

झूम झूमके बरस, प्यासी धरती आज करती है तुझे अंतरमनसे पुकार

बरसना होगा अब तुझे, तन मन है मेरा प्यासा, निभाना होगा तुझे वादा-ए- प्यार

मेरा अंतर है प्यासा, तुझे बरसना होगा यहाँ, निभाना चाहती हूं मैं यह व्यवहार

याद रखना सदा यह बात, प्यार तो आखीर प्यार है, नही कोई व्यापार ।

Armin Dutia Motashaw

बोज़

तुम्हारे जानेसे, आज हम, सबके लिए और अपने लिएभी, एक बोज़ बन बैठे हैं;

माझी बगैर की नैया की तरह, संसार सागरकी लहरोंकी जोरदार मार खाते हुए, बैठे हैं

लोक शायद डरते है, कुछ करना न पड़े हमारे लिए, उन्हें हमारा कोई बोज़ उठाना न पड़े

मझधार में जब मांझी छोड़ देता है नाव, तो लोक देखते हैं उस नावको यू  डूबते हुए; मज़ा लेते है वह, खड़े खड़े ।

कहीं कोई जिम्मेदारी उनपे नही आ जाये, यह डरसे हमें वो अब देखने है लगे;

जिंदगीने यू अचानक करवट बदली, की हम अब सबको एक पहाड़ जैसे पत्थरका  बोज़ लगने लगे

रिश्ते इतने कमजोर है, यह कभी नहीं सोचा था हमने; बलकि रिश्तोपर बड़ा नाज़ था हमे

यह गलतफहमी निकल गयी है अब, आज यह बोज़ लिए जिंदा खड़े हैं; भगवान दे सहारा हमे

A TREE TALL

Now stood here, absolutely alone, all by itself, yet looking stately, a tree tall

Time had taken the rest away, leaving it lonely, all alone by itself stood, this single tree tall.

All its leaves it shed, its branches almost dry; weeping with excruciating pain, during this fall

With so many of them, right besides it, happy it was, accompanied n protected by them all.

Then came a time, when one by one the rest fell, it sadly stood, grimly watching this all.

Today even without autumn, it looks leafless n bare, all alone, eagerly waiting to fall

Birds few do come to chirp, but nestle they don't; insects some, occasionally do near it crawl.

Without them all, its greenery n charm has gone, its leaves rustling, awaiting God's call

Armin Dutia Motashaw

ચાલો થોડુંક વિચારીએ આજે

માતાની સાથે જોડાયેલી, કપાઈ જાય છે જેમ જન્મતાજ શિશુની  નાભિ,

થાય છે એવીજ હાલત, જ્યારે થઈ જાય છે ભાઈ વિદાય અને રહી જાય છે એકલી, ભાઈ વિનાની ભાભી.

સ્નેહી સંબંધીઓ, ગભરાય છે યા કતરાય છે; જુવે છે જમણી બાજુ જો ભૂલેથી દેખાઇ જાય ભાભી, ડાભે

માનવ કેટલો સ્વાર્થી થઈ શકે છે, કેટલો જલ્દી બદલાઈ જાય છે; શું તું આં દૃશ્યો જુવે છે, બેસી આભે?

રિષતાઓ ભુલાવી બેસે છે લોકો કેટલી સહજતાથી, સરળતાથી; કાઈ રહ્યું નથી, બોલું શું હું હવે આગળ

જઝબાત છે દબાવી રાખેલા, પણ આંસુ બની, ઉમટી પડે છે કયારેક ક્યારેક; ભલે દેખાય બહારથી કોરું, આં કાગળ.

માનવને સહારાની જ્યારે સૌથી વધારે જરૂર હોય છે, ત્યારે ખાલી તમારો હાથ મુકજો એને ખભે

તમારી સલાહની એને જરૂરત નથી જરાયે; સલાહ તો હોય છે મફત, માનવોના લબે લબે.

બે બોલ એવા બોલીએ, કે શાંતિ મળે એ દુઃખી સ્વજનોને, પીડા એમની ઘટે થોડી

આં બાબતે, ચાલો થોડુંક વિચારીએ આજે; તમને બધાંને, વિનંતી કરું છું હું, કર જોડી

Armin Dutia Motashaw

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Let's go back a little n become lil college gals once again;

Let's go back in time, for a minutes few, to 1971, when it all began.

Pearl n me meeting Badri Prasad in the lift; n his becoming our friend

Our meeting Nisha (not Neesha) n how she to the Nsg. College did land.

Mabel's attack of asthama, rushing her to Nair, that's how our friendship did start

With France n Veera, remaining as Mrs Sigamany's giddy goats we did; till we finally did part

Pearl once even became Dr. D'sousa's daughter by saying "present Daddy", was real fun

Bunking English classes n going to the canteen, by us, was frequently done.

Cherish I, those detours to K. Rustoms, for "1 Pista sandwich n 2 same things"

My darling Af lovingly taking us like a mother hen, under her wings

Oh! Endless memories, soooo very many, fun filled ones, fill my mind n heart

Of my very being, now they are an integral, important, inseparable part.

Armin Dutia Motashaw

ONLY IF I

Only if I, a huge estate did own, many a varied seed I would have most definitely sown.

Veggies many, n fruits like mangoes, chickoos, gauvas, cherries luscious, I would definitely have grown

Drum sticks, lemon trees, aavla trees too; n flowers many, my  garden plants would surely adorn

Know l, a gardener's expense, very easily with these farm produce, could have been borne;

Without fail, grow I would peppermint, spearmint, lemon grass n of course lots of crunchy lettuce

I would, a cent percent, every inch of Mother Earth that belong would to me, put fully to  use.  

It is sad, very sad that millions of people, this beautiful Earth, so grossly, shabbily, ruthlessly abuse.

Just in case limited was the space, grow I would a garden vertical. Try, you guys too should; all together, please let us.

Armin Dutia Motashaw

LEOPARDS TODAY

Vispi,

How very excited you would have been, had you seen the leopards today

It was an experience unique, uncomparable; I express cannot or anything say

Closest it was to that, what we had at Masaimara, where at Sarovamara we did stay

Remember, we saw animals many; but had missed out on the leopards; at close hand, 4 times, we saw them today

Amidst Nature we always enjoy, that's why I miss you even more today

Silly probably it was of me to invite you, leaving your duty there, for a few minutes today.

Hope you did come and see what you were ever keen on seeing yesterday.

Armin Dutia Motashw