an-kahi kah an-suni baatein sunaa — Saleem Shahzad

havaa ki zad mein patte ki tarah thaa
vo ik zakhmi parinde ki tarah thaa

zard patte mein koi nuqta-e-sabz
apne hone kaa pataa kaafi hai

baaton mein hai us ki zahr thoDaa
thoDaa saa mazaa sharaab jaisaa

use pataa hai ki rukti nahin hai chhaanv kabhi
to phir vo abr ko kyuun saaebaan samajhtaa hai

aag bhi barsi darakhton par vahin
kaal basti mein jahaan paani kaa thaa

vahm o khirad ke maare hain shaayad sab log
dekh rahaa huun shishe ke ghar chaaron or

jinhein ye fikr nahin sar rahe rahe na rahe
vo sach hi kahte hain jab bolne pe aate hain

vo na aaegaa hamein maalum thaa is shaam bhi
intizaar us kaa magar kuchh soch kar karte rahe

maango samundaron se na saahil ki bhiik tum
haan fikr o fan ke vaaste gahraai maang lo

gulaabon ke honTon pe lab rakh rahaa huun
use der tak sochnaa chaahtaa huun

fikr-e-maaash maatam-e-dil aur khayaal-e-yaar
tum sab se maazarat ki tabiat udaas hai

main ne to tasavvur mein aur aks dekhaa thaa
fikr mukhtalif kyuun hai shaaeri ke paikar mein