yaar hote to mujhe munh pe buraa kah dete — Shahzad Ahmad

ab to insaan ki azmat bhi koi chiiz nahin
log patthar ko khudaa maan liyaa karte the

zabaanein thak chukin patthar hue kaan
kahaani an-kahi thi an-kahi hai

ek se manzar dekh dekh kar aankhein dukhne lagti hain
is raste par peD bahut hain aur haraa koi bhi nahin

khule asraar us par jism ke aahista aahista
bahut din mein use baatein na karne kaa hunar aayaa

bharpur nahin hain kisi chehre ke khad-o-khaal
dekhaa nahin vo chaand jo puuraa nazar aae

khuli fazaa mein agar laDkhaDaa ke chal na sakein
to zahr piinaa hai behtar sharaab piine se

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

mujhe rahnaa thaa tiri aankh mein aansu ki tarah
main to naakaam huun ai dost sitaara ban kar

naslein vahshi ho jaati hain yaar hifaazat karne mein
khush hone ki baat nahin hai sahraa ki sultaani par

khud apne gham hi se ki pahle dosti ham ne
aur us ke baa'd gham-e-dostaan ko pahchaanaa

agar vo aaj raat hadd-e-iltifaat toD de
kabhi phir us se pyaar kaa khayaal bhi na aaegaa

mumkin hai ashk ban ke rahun chashm-e-yaar mein
mumkin hai bhuul jaae gham-e-rozgaar mein