Ties of blood

they say

ties of blood

remain unsevered bonds

over time

through highs and lows

in hours of need

when traversing up and down

its kind voice of kith and kin

that sustains

with unfailing respite

affirming again

and again

that alone we're not

meant to endure

in hardest of times

our relatives are there

to cheer

as blood is thicker

than water.

this for me

is a myth -

well proven in time and again

for my brood endured

gave precious company

only when times were hearty, of plenty

yet when i yearned

for a healing touch

or turned to them

for a listening ear,

in desperation

I found -

in times of distress

my kindred

were too busy

to care.

We'd shared

a root, bore names of same

one family tree,

but with the misfortune's strike

it was blood

that swiftly dried

the element of water

it flowed so freely

to cleanse to cure

it gushed as spring

from source untagged

chanced upon by heart

steadfastly

they stood near

enough to reach

to lean upon

unquestioning shoulders;

so affectionately

these nameless bonds

extended with ease

enabled to live

survive beyond the mundane

in human existence -

their Holy hand

had wiped off gently

all tarnish and tear.

-

Thank God

that water is thinner

than blood.

In life

In life

we ride high tide

and sometimes low

when on crest

its easy to be spotted

to be followed

by those who

clambour close to play

up to the challenge

of the survival game;

its at bottom of troughs

though that we find

only self

to hug close, hold tight

to stay barely afloat

and if at such times

blessed are we with a few

precious chums

that choose

to swim alongside

to hum

tunes of patience,

courage and cheer

to tug us along

with lifeline spelt hope

pulling to the shores

with selfless care,

they are the ones

that deserve

to be cherished

close to our heart.

mama ka nidhan

Badi hi sookhi

rookhi padi thi khaak

tumhari qabr pe

pardes ki mitti

jhulsaati dhoop mein

dekha so mama

aansuon ka chidkao

aaj main kiye

aayi hoon

kuch nami mein

jo kami pade to

khwabon mein aa

batla jana-

main phir aaoongi

rone ko.

Parvaaz

Hawaiee jahaz jab

ruka khada tha

khila mein -

zamin ambar ke darmiyan

utarne ke intezaar mein

tha thama, ke lambe safar ki

thakaan thi.

Dekha main ne tab

bhoori dharti aatoorta se

moonh uthaye

tak rahi thi ek tak

kshithij mein pat gagan ka

neela, ujjwal, pradeept aasman

us se aalingan badh

hone ki manokamna

bas anayas mere man ki

mook pukar bani

to us damm palat

prithvi ye boli:

haad maans aur hawa

par nirbhar Paarth Putra

hey Maanas

teri parvaaz abhi baaqui hai.

Bihar ki Beti

उस प्रदेश की गीली मिट्टी पे

नंगे पाँव चली, बचपन खेली 

कंकर, गोली, और गुड्डी बन 

स्वच्छंद फिरी कुछ यूँ कि 

नील गगन में निर्भय ही 

अन्य पतंगो संग पेंच लड़ाई थी;

जून की लू और जनवरी की बोरसी -

इन की तपिश ने सेंका यूँ कि

ज़िंदगी की झुलस कभी 

मन विचलित ना कर पायी थी।

वो सोंधी ख़ुशबू सावन की -

जिस से रिझ कर जनप्रीत में 

मन मतवाला होता था;

साँझ की पूर्वा बयार ने आँगन में 

गेंदा, चमेली, जूही, चम्पा,

रात की रानी, रजनीगंधा का 
प्यार पुरम पूर उँडेला था;

उसी आँगन पड़ी चारपाई पर से

टूटते तारे तकते तकते, 

तकिया पर सर रखे 

ख़्वाबों की चूनर बुन जाती थी, 

फिर ध्रुव से दिशा इंगित करवा

सुबह अपनी राहों का निशाँ 
ढूंढ पाती थी.

अहा! बड़ा खुश मस्त सा 
जाम पिया वहाँ 

प्रकृति के अलबेले घेरे में -

नीम, बरगद तले झूला झूले

जिन की मस्त उठानों ने

जीवन में उड़ानें भरने की 

अदा हमें सिखलायी थी।

बेरें खाईं, गुठली चूसी

चटखार सहित इमली खायी थी,

गंगा ने सींचा इस मिट्टी को 

ऐसे की धैर्य, संतोष के अंकुर फूटे

खायी रोटी नमक जो इस धाम -

खरी वाणी और सच को चुन कर

सबल मनोबल लिए अडिग कदम से 

कर्मयोग पे पर बने रहने की

निष्ठा जानी थी.

सो दूर सही - 

हूँ नतमस्तक ऋण से, विधाता 

गर्व का आभास भी है 

आज सात समुंदर पार सही 

पर बेटी हूँ बिहार की। 

Maa

Maa ruko abhi

nahi badi huwi main

man nirbal ab bhi

darta hai.

Maa thamo zara

kuch aur ghadi

meri peed haro

ke jwar taap jo ho

har asmanjas

har thokar par

hriday chitkar bas

maa maa

karta hai.

Nahin badi huwi main..

Don't dig
new roots
into this unaccustomed
Earth-
as skin shrivels
on me I fear
I'll lose touch with
grounds that I always
knew to be
my own.

4.4.10 on bus when returning from Venice to Florence.

- Sabina Fatima Hussain

Nirvana

i've reached

a state

where there is no want

to possess

yes i'm ready

to let go -

is this nirvana -

i ask myself

when my cup of life

is just full

filled to the brim

with no drop to spare

for over spill

no space is there

remaining to let

extreme emotions

in!

Thought bubble that floated up on the steps at St Marcos Sqaure in Venice with Aamal quietly playing by me on the afternoon of 3.4.10

My Gladiator

You said

can you be a Gladiator

I say Son sure be -

all of us are anyway warriors

in varying ways of world.

Some wage war

for want of wealth

some to possess power

or seek control so

they wreak havoc

with awesome plunder

on all to be fancied

time casts their mark

with bloodshed, parting, disaster,

a trail of legacy

is left behind

in seeping wounds so raw

they still continue to bleed

smoulder pages of our history.

Those battles cost

a fortune dear

for soil and toil of world

beauty, creativity were

destroyed after

so lovingly man's hand

generated whenev'r

it happened that there was

a brief pause for peace.

Looking back

at tales of past,

I'll wish and choose

to bless thee

with best as I can see

head, go forth

do fight, if you must,

but not for sake

of base desire,

your choice of war

ought deserve

brave mettle of the Freeman

I raised aloft

to let his eyes see

lofty causes to aspire

so surge, lunge and rise

to discover

countless ways

to truth, justice and liberty

for all with your might obtain

science and art as art of God

to be preserved.

Do cast your sword

yes cut with steely words

let man's mind yield

with flicks of pen

move of tongue

colossal blows of intellect

render carve out

reach for destiny

go Gladiator go achieve

live as man among men

who're committed by their vows

with raging passion in caring heart

smear hope and faith across

your life's canvas

to urge some more

inspire many

against what humanity

sadly still endures-

for poverty, pain and misery

are demonic scourges that

my Gladiator has

to strike.

Aamal asked to be a Gladiator, standing in arena of the Colosseum, Rome on 1st April 2010.

The guide said:

take Hope, Charity, Faith

to find

true wealth

of this world-

is Contentment.

Thought bubble raised by travel guide Michael in Florence on 3rd April, 2010.

I stopped

asking long ago-

'Why me?'.

instead when

come joy

or sorrow

I take

I smile

then say-

'What next?'

I pray

in solitude

seeking silence

in your strength

I take refuge

in pain

let me feel

You in human touch,

in hardship

give a will

to try again

Yes,

I ask for Heaven

here to see

'coz Blue Planet

is Divine-

if only life could be let

to be

no Eden

can ever better be.

leaving a mark

the very fact that
'you are'
you've left
your mark
on the face of time;
its deep

for some

for others mere dent ,

how does it matter;
now no longer
can even destiny erase
that you've happened
evolved and overcame
to be
a cherished page

of history

in memory

of those who love

You.

Inspired by words of Shampa Banerjee: http://shampa-frozenmoments.blogspot.com/2010/03/aspirations.html

aankhon se bahta

paani sasta hai

aaj menhgi hai

kuch pal ki bas

khushi.

waqt bahut hai

bhag daud ko-

par paane ki

khoj mein kahan

milta hai kabhi

sukoon?

dooriyan kat ti

to hain safar se-

ho paati kya tab hasil

sada hamen

hamari manzil?

shabd likhne

sunne ki kami kahan-

phir bhi ghulli milli

hai kyon man mein

ye ghor ekaki?

computer, cyber

sms, email, phone

kayi sadhan

anek manoranjan hain

pade magar-

mila nahi jag bhar mein

saccha preet aur

saathi.

Adharm ki neenv par ,

dharam ki imarate

bulund nahin hoti

sach ka pani

khara hi sahi

seenchta to hai

jadon ko-

tabhi sar utha kar

lahlaha patin hain

ped ki shaakh

uski ubharti

tahniyan!

nisha ka pat

choom kar

suraj ne apni

kirnon ko bikhera hai

amantrit kar raha hai go

phir se

jo saj chuka hai

karm bhoomi ka rann

aakash mein hai

prakat 'aaj'

aao ise ham

apne bhinn rang

se bhar den

kuch yoon

ke pradipt prakash

se bharpoor ho

navprabhat ka

ye savera hai.

Musings

Yes mind wanders

and alongwith

it takes my soul

seeking and questing

ardently I pause and peek

look into other lives

trying hard to understand

how peace

is achieved

in humdrum and chaos

of daily existence.

Coping from one day

to next, is weekly toll

ticking away months,

then years

on calendar's scroll

I find no time to be

a rishi or muni

to rest in mountains or green,

to spend life on ponder

'bout hows and whys

of mortal existence

randomly chanced

upon the earth

when womb bore forth

new life joined

diverse cosmos

doomed with discontent

wanting to know,

find real purpose in life

with wholesome goal

aspiring to live

with aim to fulfil

a human role

in one lifetime.

Racing through list

from day to day

plagued is mind

unresolved about

meaning of 'mine'

I pick signs hither

then for clues look thither

I ask myself

why is it worthwhile to live

for mere mirth, just a laugh,

ignoring eternal fact

that ruthless can be

twists, turns in life,

where precious fragility

defines being alive

where no one escapes

marks of pain, parting is there

tests with heartbreaks

for on cycle of life, there's no control

on matters that matter

in joy or pain, loss or gain,

or when happiness profound

bows off with curtsey

to let

sorrow seep in

with sway of an unwaverin'

reckless sweep of tide

the unseen hand of Divine

has beckoned - He

rolls and calls

from log of Destiny.

Truthseekers so many

are seeking for truth

or is it myth,

they search in vain?

will answers tally,

or be found at all?

at times to wonder

seems such waste of time

to want to know

what lies in store

when uncertainty appears

to be the natural law!

Ah unresolved,

remains my fractionated form

scattered as bits

of an unsolved jigsaw

I ache and crave

for utter Unity-

would meditation, detachment

grant this wish,

or

magic potion of being loved

act, be illusory reprieve,

will solace be found

with devotion to One

will I find 'me' ever

in harmonious unison?

Pahchaan

Paani

kabhi kahan
thamta hai -
anjali bharo to

jal rista hai
badal bane phuhar

nadi, nala, jharna ban

bahta rahta hai aab

dekho agar

tum saagar ko

usme bhi paoge dhaar

thame neer

tabhi jab

roke dharti

banaa ke jheel talaab

lekin wahan

mauje nahin hotin.

Priye,
isi liye to main bahta paani

hoon.

March

Steps today

led my way

to green, where

heartening it was

to see

new shoots

breaking

weather toughened ground

eager to bloom

were buds of yellow

and violet crocuses

harbingers of spring

unchecked, unfettered

were held not back

by the chill that bites

still stifles the air;

a statement was made thus

simply to say

mettle of new lot

will always have its way

to brush aside

sway away

any wintry gloom

there's promise of colours

that March of youth

can bring.

On way to Hervines with Kranti.

chamkila pal

ek chamkila pal
sarak pada kal
beete lamhon ke matiyale
paanon ke darmiyan se
jab puraani yadon
ki taaq main
sanwar rahi this;
jane kab se
phansa raha
woh wahan
intezaar mein
aur phir bin maange
bin chahe gulzar
kar gaya dhoondhlati galiyan
jin ka rang ab
kuch pheeka
pad chala tha!