zakhmon ko phuul kar de tanhaaiyon ko marham — Rauf Khalish

utro khud apni zaat ki gahraai mein 'khalish'
ubhre jo apne-aap ko paane ki aarzu

jazb kar ke rakh lenaa dastakein hatheli mein
jab se main safar mein huun ham-safar hain darvaaze

guzarte vaqt ke aasaar kaun chhoD gayaa
zamaane Tal gae lekin aTal rahe hain sutun

bikharte khvaabon se taabir ke dhundlakon tak
muhaajrat ne kachoke bahut lagaae hain

jis tanaazur mein bhi dekho khush-jamaalon ko 'khalish'
zaaviya bigDaa nazar kaa saare bigDe zaaviye

kahin hujum mein tanhaai mil gai thi mujhe
main ro diyaa tiri yaadon se guftugu kar ke

gham hai na ab khushi hai na ummid hai na yaas
sab se najaat paae zamaane guzar gae

jab ki pahlu se yaar uThtaa hai
dard be-ikhtiyaar uThtaa hai

husn jalva dikhaa gayaa apnaa
ishq baiThaa rahaa udaas kahin

vo aae jaataa hai kab se par aa nahin jaataa
vahi sadaa-e-qadam kaa hai silsila ki jo thaa

hai ye pur-dard daastaan 'mahrum'
kyaa sunaaein kisi ko haal apnaa

yahaan tak kar liyaa masruf khud ko
akeli ho gai tanhaai meri