Category: Poetry
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A Man on the Street
I am driving To the doctor’s clinicTo fix my broken armLocomotives broom the busy roadA man is walking down the streetIn sweltering heatIn his long black blazersSweating and smilingTalking to himselfOr perhaps an invisible friend —Will somebody stop and ask him:How are you doing today?Are you in pain? The streetlights have turned greenI move on —A…
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Tonight, let me write!
Tonight, let me write!Let me write With the burning flames Of youthful passionUnder the silver balm Of the crescent moonAmidst the soothing fragrance Of the spring air — Tonight, let me write!Let me write Of the dark Dreadful sleepless nights,Of the days bygone And the paths forsaken,Of the one-way journeys To strange lands — Tonight, let me write!Let me writeOf the hopeful eyesAnd the…
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A Self Evaluation
It was a deep connection Far-reaching yet undefined I wonder what prompted it There was no history No prior contact whatsoever Nothing visibly discernible Nor physically tangible either — It tested my resilience Defeated my sense of platitude Perseverance — I cringed And I crawled Like an earthly insect A bird with broken wings Or…
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An afternoon in the Dal
An evening by the window That opens down my memory lane — The window and I And a piece of poetry — A cup of nun-chai in the chilling cold And the flights of my fantasy — An October afternoon in the Dal In a Shikara, and you by my side In complete harmony With…
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Breakfast and Bed
Breakfast and Bed A freshly made waffle Topped with whipped cream Blueberries and chocolate I see poetry on a plate — A cup of hot tea With a touch of cardamom And a streak of sunshine Peering through the kitchen blind There’s a rapturous warmth In this cold Sunday morning She sings melodies In a…
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Coffee and a Kiss
A cup of coffee and a sizzling kiss ah, pure bliss! The lover’s lips quiver on the contours of her body He moves around in the deep dungeons of a solitary town mapping its twists and tracing its turns with gentle strokes Please tell me, will you, the musings of a mystery And I…
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Luuka-mot (A Kashmiri Poem)
Dopmay Yi gav lūka-mot Lūka mətis kyah karizi Yi čhu tufānah andɨ-god̩ rotsh Apɨzis poz ta pəzis kor apuz Zyaw nyanglə̄w tɨ əčhen ditsɨ pači Gāmɨ-shahar yeli krekɨnād sapud Mōsum bačɨ gəy dam-phuttẙ Ta phryakh kheyi nōtvānav Tse čhuy zan kunyar sanyōmut Adɨ kava rōvukh pānsiy andar Dopmay dapān hyenar hyetin grazin Vyethi hund āb ti mā…
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Ladishah – Kashir 2016 (II)
Ladishah Ladishah, ma sa kar graav Yekya aayi Azaedi, “calendar” draav Dohas beh penji pyeth, nindrah traav Nata myen saddkay, yaa syeri phuttraav Madrasan daftaran kuluf dyith bodd Yedd thav keyn, tul athas kyath tsodd Masjidan manz thovukh bait-ul-maal Koytth phuytt ada roav zachyen taam naal Yus baraan chanda tay khyevaan mongaddal Moaj Kashir chhey tamis kyuth khal Kaem-kaar traewith ays karav taqriir Haraamuk harsyi khyath parav takbiir Mokhta…
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Ladishah: Kashir-2016 (I)
Ladishah Ladishah kot sana draakh Zangan chhey raz tay hattis pyetth shraakh Saddkan kochan pyetth chhe doara-doar Prath doha yeti chhey laar kati-koar Ayk loag curfew ta bey hartaal Awaamas zaejikh anza-manza taal Kaala-pagahiy chhuy yeti “blackout” Kar sa maali jal-jal kashiri checkout Shuyr chhiy laatthi hyethiy nyeraan Roaba daabah tay drangal karaan Prath doha…
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I Turn Away
[Note: This poem is dedicated to the women who have been subjected to sexual violence, rape, subjugation, and discrimination in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere. The poem should be read in the context of certain cultural practices and historical events. I wrote this poem after the Delhi gang-rape in December 2012]. My heart, it breaks…
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