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Wednesday 6 October 2021

A Birthday Poem for Your B'day

I wish
you're born short
not tall like Chinar
that takes roots deep
and years to give shade
                                              The world is in a hurry
                                               it won't wait for you

Be born like grass
to be trampled upon
and believe
it's in your nature to be stamped on

I wish you're not born human
but a worm
spineless
and be relieved
of this burden of conscience

                                               Man with a Gun,
                                               and that's the tragedy of this world,
                                               is more poised
                                               than man with a Book
              
May you be born
with ultimate physical beauty
Do some nonsense
in front of your screen 
Become famous, viral
Don't burden yourself with wisdom
Thinking, Reading or other mundane activities

                                               Stupidity is the new wisdom
               
May you be born
filthy rich
and make others work
humiliate them
oppress
and alienate them
so that their parents 
write this poem for them

Thursday 5 August 2021

12 × 8.5 × 6

A fistful heart -
worldful of sorrows
A universe of darkness -
A flicker of your light

Wednesday 31 March 2021

"Nakaami si Nakaami" / "ناکامی سی ناکامی"

Salaam un par 
jo ghar kay choolhey ka
eendhan ban gaye
aur phir
kahin na mile

Salaam un par
jo banjar zameeno mein
zarkhaiz khwaab 
ley kar utar gaye

Salaam un par
jo muhabbat ka zehr pi kar bhi
na Messiha ban sake
na Suqrat

Salaam un par
jo wadi e ilm mein
kitaboon key shajr tale bhi
saans na ley paye

Salaam un par
jo saansoo ka phandha liye
zindagi ki 
kachi chat se bhi
naa latak paye

Salaam un Salaamo par
jo faqt
Sada e noha ban kar reh gayein 

سلام اُن پر
جو گھر کے چولہے کا
ایندھن بن گئے
اور پھر
کہیں نہ ملے 

سلام اُن پر
جو بنجر زمینوں میں
زرخیز خواب
لے کر اتر گئے

سلام اُن پر
جو محبت کا زہر پی کر بھی
نہ مسیحا بن سکے
نہ سقراط

سلام اُن پر
جو وادی علم میں
کتابوں کے شجر تلے بھی
سانس نہ لے پائے

سلام اُن پر
جو سانسوں کا پھندا لئے
زندگی کی
کچی چھت سے بھی
نا لٹک پائے

سلام اُن سلاموں پر
جو فقط
صدائے نوحہ بن کر رہ گئیں 

Wednesday 24 March 2021

Some Ruminations upon the Phrase, I Love You

HUSSERL: (I) LOVE (YOU)
A touch kissing
A kiss talking
A talk touching
A touch touching
A now
A present
A feeling

HEIDEGGER: I-LOVE-YOU
Being-in-love
The fish in the water
The water in the water
The reason why
The blue veins
flowing over your breasts
are better than any blue sky

LEVINAS: I (LOVE) YOU
I, of the womb of your heart
You are not my mother
O! Mother
You give me an I
An eye, a face and a soul
Love - the first and
the only philosophy

DERRIDA: "I" "LOVE" "YOU"
"'I love you' is always a quotation"
is a quote from a novel,
narrated by an unnamed character
remembering the beloved,
a novel by Winterson.
A coat
of memory
wrapped around a tattered stick
of words, of emotions, of feelings -
Quote -
"I" is a quote
So is "You"
"Love", a quote within a quote