Kadam yaadon ke ghere mein
Mera jab bhi kabhi padta
Woh aalam yaad aata tha
Woh aangan yaad aata tha

Woh dopahar mein gulmohar
Pe chadna yaad aata tha
Gulaabon, phal wa phoolon ka
Mehekna yaad aata tha...

Subah koyal ki ku ku ka
Woh shor o gul tha yaad aata
Agasi par tanhayi ka
Woh kona yaad aata tha

Har ek pal ki kahani thi
Woh dastaanon ka har lamha
Us chaukhat ka har ek paththar
Har zarra yaad aata tha

Falak par hi to hota hai
Tasawwur e irum aksar
Sama ki sar Zameen par tha
Jo "Firdaus" yaad aata tha

Padosi ka sulook e khair
Woh rishta yaad aata tha
Padosi ka hi phir hum par
Nishaana yaad aata tha

Woh kaalapan woh sannata
Woh buu e Raakh ka uthna
Mere armanon ke ghar ka
Jalana yaad aata tha

'Ain' ashq ab behta hai to kya
Mita to yeh nahi sakta
Khalish e qalb ka woh pal
Jo aksar yaad aata tha....

can i be a bird, mimicking the wind?
can i forget my lungs, can i leave the heart beating?
can i have the wings, flying through
the pain of all worlds?

at night am i a blinking eye
curling on death's palm, trying to sleep?

can i be a bird, lost in a city?
can i make a home, can i give a try?
can i have the wings, flying to the moon
where all children belong?

at night am i a boy privilege
crushing my soul, confused at the silence?

can i pray to god, can i do something?
can i believe in love, can i breathe your words?
can i be a star, can i be a cross?

carry me, i'm tearing up
for the grief, for the loss

carry me, i'll bring you
to where we were
before

when is a work of art not just a work of art?

at what point does it stop
being only a thing of beauty
and transform-
the self
the society
the Universe
                                                                when does it transcend the real
                                                                and become something magical
                                                               helping one fall through –
                                                               the rabbit hole
                                                                the wormhole
                                                                the black hole
                                                                                                                                      when does it become
                                                                                                                                     an unstoppable force
                                                                                                                                     and cause –
                                                                                                                                     a revolution
                                                                                                                                     an evolution
                                                                                                                                     an absolution


                              and at which moment does  it make you stop in your tracks
                                                          stop breathing and exclaim
                            “Gar Firdaus, ruhe zamin, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast!”

- Vijayalakshmi Harish
   05.01.2013
  Copyright © Vijayalakshmi Harish,

oh satan I think I love you
love you more

I hope people will always remember me with good memories instead of the bad ones.

I hope people wont ever have to feel a loss when i'm no longer in this world.

I hope my grave will just be the layers of earth and nothing else that covers my lifeless self.

I hope the people that I love will always know how much they mean in my life.

I hope whatever I've done in this world is enough to be entitled to enter the doors of Jannatul Firdaus.