anil gupta's blog

Do not ask for it again,

said the koel

I will not sing the same song ever again

But then I was struck by this insistence

Did not you insist on singing this song many times earlier

Even when I was

Not always in the mood to listen

Yes, I did, but that was my choice

Asserted the koel

 

Now, this is my choice

I will not sing this song again

How could I have complained, after all

All the rules in this world

are made by the koel

Crow has to only plead that

his eggs will be nurtured by koel

ever and ever again

Do not ask me whether I get disoriented

While traversing the citadels of modernity

Global empires and the rustic corners of the country

I do not notice

This transition,

may be I do not

make the transition,

I am always in a cocoon

which remains unaffected by the trappings

of the time,

That does not stay still

For a moment, not even for a moment

Even if I wish, so much

The springs here would not be polluted

Any more, sages had prayed

But today the restraint has gone away

And the water has become dirty

Call them back

If for no other reason,

Then just to let them be

The Guardians of the springs

The rivers will then flow clean again

May be

Like a unique chinar of this valley

Which Did not ever shed leaves

But then we must have erred

In some ways  fundamental

The tree had started drying

The willows were saved from

The intruders  passing by

By wrapping the cloth

In which was covered, once,  some one

Who is no more around here

Do not ask me to write every thing about me

Because I would write

And then you would wonder

Did I have to

22 june, 2007

rimjhim badal barse to kya

kuchh to tha, jo tha sookha sa

kisee door ek akeley rahi ka

man bhara tha, tha hi kuchh waqt aisa

tumney yaad kiya, ya bas phir yun hi kaha

phoolon ko hawaon ko bhent diya

jisney poocha kyun salwat hai mathey par

hans di Kalli, aur kaha, jamaney ne kyun itna pooja

when the sky was dark and some stars disappeared

what could we do

except to collect the ash

an d disperse that in a holy river

but i still remeber you,

your love, your innocense, your grace

will not evaporate when the leaves have to answer

the questions under the sun

i will grow some seeds of love

in the dry land aorund the cemetry

every one who comes to bury their loved ones

will partake some seeds, some flowers and some hope

i trust but have no way to ensure

i cannot plant fence around this garden

why not make me a thorny bush

O Kaali, and let me protect these seeds of love

madhur kshana, adheer man, tum shant na ho, gao

jindagi ki daur mein, aakash ke gaud mein,tum phir muskurao

tum shannt na ho, gao

merey hriday ki lalsa, jeevan ke mulyo ki warsa. jikra iska sunao

ho sakey to, mud kar na dekho, bas anwarat chalti hi jao, chalti hi jao

tum shant na ho, gao

sneha ke swapno ko dekho, anagan mein tulsi uagao, bas ab tum aur muskurao

bhul saari peeda man ki,jo chhutey, na uski socho, jeevan mein bas badtey jao,

tum shant na ho , gao, khub gao,

our prayers must be benign

no matter what anger

or shame hinder your resolve

be ready to sacrifice

whatever you cherish

for the depth of a matter

can not be done away with
by any occasional flood or drought

of feelings or blessings

why should time be so brute

or myopic

either way, it only makes the cup you bake in the oven

of love

more brittle

we have to patiently

pray

focus on the long term goals

of moulding clay to make cups

in which some day

when we have to drink poison

even if our hands waver

and it falls down

it does not break

poison remains intact

and our responsibility will not be denied

its not easy to build castles in air

but i tried

my dreams of making

heroes of the ordinary mortals

have been broken today

but will i give up

will stop trying

does a creeper growing on an aged tree

stop growing
when the roots start drying

it saps the last drop of energy

it can

i will not spare the tree of life

and draw the last ounce of energy i can

i have to

for the blessings must continue