Author: anilg

itna koi khaali nahin hota

bhara hua ho jab dil  to koi

yun hi ek manjil nahin khota

30 nov 2001

it is not easy to be prudent
taken in by the  tensions of desires that delay
and the trust that will sway
pendulum of moods,
i am aware of the fire
and the ice that burns slowly and then gives way

you had decided to take away
all the curtains from my home
while leaving it the other day
but you left so many other weightier things behind
did you want to see through the windows
whether i had cried
when the garden on the top of a hill
was denuded
the view from the top might not have been clear that day
lot of clouds had decided to come in the way
they rescued my tears 
the dance of my tears was not witnessed
by the golden gaze of those eyes
which have now turned away
very far, for very long

when the curtains had already been taken away

when the drops were bolder,
they fell slowly
why do they love each other so much
why are they not able to live away from each other
why have they made a nest in the corner of my eyes
why have they decided to appear when they like and
disappear when i don't like
but sometimes they appear when i don't want them,
are they the doors of my heart
which opens at will and allows winds of pain
to come unabated
it seems they have been unhinged
they have not realized that i will swallow them
all of them
and not leave a trace
even if eyes betray, and the reflections dont stay
any longer, here, there or any where

march 16, 2011

when simmering sounds of empty flute reach far

we dont care about who is the player

but the solace is in listening

quietly

no matter how much it rains

i am not wet still

who is

leaves of a dry tree

have already fallen

dont say any thing

let me listen to this

through inner ears

that only listen when i am quiet,

 and when you also dont say any thing

when the rains are not able to wash away

stains of  memories

sustained by bruises one suffers while climbing the steps to your temple

through uncharted paths

full of thorny bushes

allowed to grow

 deliberately to keep away

all those whose yearnings may violate the memoryscapes of those clouds

which have  been waiting to rain

in your courtyard

O Ma Kaali

 that is the way you shower

your blessings

 i have learned now

under the shadow of all the clouds that did not rain this year too

   kya isee tarah sunwayi hoti hai tumharey darbar mein

jo bhi ho mujrim

jiski bhi hoshikayat

saza sirf usee ko milti hai jo sacha hai

chahey uski fariyad kahi jayey ya na,

 chahey uski fariyad suni jayey ha na

shayad sahi hi to hai,

saza hi praman hai ki

sunwayi ho rahi hai

kiski, isse kya farak padta hai

phir samet lo meri salvaton ko

apney haathon mein

aaj ek baar

le jao sabhi lehron ko jinmey mein ghuli hai

thodi anban, thodi tanah navo ki asthiyan

le jao, samet lo meri salvaton ko phir ek baar apney hathon mein

thaki si hai kaya meri,

dhundli  si hai maya teri

aisey me Ma Kaali phir se meri na le pareeksha

mujhey mit jaaney dey,

bas phir ek baar waisey hi

jaise andhiyan le jaati hain

sukhi pattiyon ko kahin khad bananey ko,

le jao mujhey bhi ab akhiri baar, le jaao

may the path ahead be pleasant for you,

o traveller

go and bless the shadows of the trees

that saved you from the heat

and also bless those bamboo groves

which saved  you from the storms

but then remember,

once in a while

those small pools of water on the roadside

in which you cooled your heels

washed the dust off,

 so that it feels

cool, clean and calm

go away traveller, go away

your memory is like a cool balm