Dil Ki Zubaani...

Hamesha chahte the rehna tanha
Phir aaj tanhaai kyun itni khal rahi hai?
Is dil ne to dhadakna chod hi diya
Par kambakhat saansein ab tak chal rahi hai...

Gamke gherone zindagi ka gala ghont diya
Socha ab jeeke kya karenge jab khushi ne hi humse muh mod liya.
Phir ek din kisi ke kadmo ki aahat ne humein phir jeene ka maksad diya
Par jab jaana ki kiya tha anjane mein rukh humari aur un kadmon ne,
To humne saans lena hi chod diya

Saath chalne ka vaada kar ke
Jaane kyun chale gaye saath chod ke
Woh to badh chale apni manzil ki aur
Humein raah mein khada chod ke

Har pal jo bitaya unke pyar mein woh yaad karke
Jee lenge hum zindagi bhar unka intezaar karke
Kyunki jab dil lagaaya tab maalum na tha
Kabhi pachtava bhi hoga unhe humse pyar karke

Jab saamne the woh, hum doob jaate the unki aankhon mein
Honth sil jaate the, jab bhar lete the woh apni baahon mein
Aaj na woh aankhein hain, na woh baahein,
Phir bhi haal wohi hai humara, khokar unki yaadon mein

The Darkness around a Lighthouse

I stand still watching waves come and go,
Gathering all their courage – rising high, sinking low.
I watch them rise with all their might,
Then crashing against the rocks; O what a pitiable sight!

When courage meets such fate
My heart rushes to its rescue but by then all efforts seem to be late.
Every night brings along a new hope
To rise again but shatters them the next moment, making it hard to cope.

When ships set sail, I guide them, show them the way,
But alas! I fail to guide these silly waves from crashing at the bay.
I wish I could hold them when they struggle to rise high,
Or console them when they break and give out a sigh.

But yet I stand still watching waves come and go,
Gathering all their courage – rising high, sinking low.

The Red Light

I stand at the traffic lights -
Red, yellow, green
Waiting from day to night
Seldom seen, generally unseen.

In the scorching heat, my burning feet,
Pray for the lights to turn red
For that’s the time when I find
A chance to earn my bread.

Some make me plead, some make me beg
Some buy with a smile what I’ve got to sell.
But why make me run and fetch the money?
Is it a game? I really can’t tell.

All day long I watch the traffic lights –
Red, yellow, green
But ‘red’ is my colour I’m sure
For I know not what the other two mean.