For you Mom!

For a valentine who's loved all the year through and even beyond that. Words fail to show love and affection for her, a little effort to tell her she is the best! I am glad this poem is published in the first quarter of 2014,  in "Hindi Chetna", a literary publication from Canada. A small gift to mom this Valentine....

"माँ- आप" 

आम के बौर-सी 

भीनी-सी माँ,

गर्मी में गुलमोहर-सी 

साहसी-सी माँ,

जेठ की दोपहरी में 

छाँव-सी माँ,

गिरते हुए पलों में 

आशा-सी माँ,

पहाड़ों के गिरते झरनों में 

कलकल-सी माँ,

सुबह-सुबह के पंछियों-सी 

चहचाहट-सी माँ ,

लड़खड़ाते कदमों में 

संबल-सी माँ,

जीवन के रसों में 

शृंगार-सी माँ,

यादों की झलकियों में,

कृष्णा-सी माँ,

संसार के समस्त रूपों में 

आत्मा-सी माँ  

"पगली"

जो शब्दों में बाँधने तुम्हें चली मैं 

देखा एक मुस्कान सी तिर गयी 

तुम्हारे चेहरे पर 

जैसे, बिन कहे ही कहा हो मुझे 'पगली'

"नादान! मुझे कैद करने चली है.… "

फिर भी मैंने हार न मानी 

कई विधा तुम पर वारी 

अंतस्  में फैलता तुम्हारा ओज 

लेखनी पर आने को जैसा मचल रहा था,

जो मिला था सुकूँ तुम्हारी सूरत से 

जो बरस रहा था नेह हर पोर से

सोचा -एक कविता तो अर्पण करूँ तुम्हें 

बस इसी जद्दो-जहद में 

पन्नों पर कई बार लिखा नाम तुम्हारा 

हर बार नाम के साथ एक सीरत मुस्काई,

हर बार जैसे लगा थामा हो हाथ तुमने 

कभी न छोड़ जाने के एक वादे के साथ.…

बस तभी शायद लगा 

सच कहा था तुमने मुझे 'पगली'

मीरा भी कह देते तो रंज न होता!

कभी आत्मा में बसे तुम,

कभी ह्रदय में समाये 

कभी किताबों के कवर पर जा विराजे 

कभी शब्दों में बिखर पड़े, 

ठीक ऐसे ही जैसे 

हर जगह तुम्हें ना पाकर भी

जैसे पा लिया हो तुम्हें 

सच…. मेरे कृष्णा, ऐसा तो तुम्हारे साथ ही होता है न!

This poem of mine was featured in NRI poetry section of Delhi International Film Festival, 2014- http://www.delhiinternationalfilmfestival.com/ - All poets->NRI poets

Joy!

"the rustle of the fall

sounding through those tiny feet

laughter crackling each time a leaf chips,

left me wondering...

...is it really fall?

because, my spring just arrived!"

This short poem is written for Write Tribe's Wednesday prompt (the photo above). I named it Joy because that's what this picture reminded me of. My daughter loves crackling dry leaves, and their rustling sound makes her gleam! That's my joy when her smiles and laughter brings spring in the season of fall (autumn)! 

"nirvana"

In the cacophony of the world

In the thick piles of work

In the mundane chores of everyday

In the bustle of the crowd

In the bargain of the compromises

In the race of time, I just take a second!

...I peep inside and,

I find you as my "nirvana".

My Platinum (Shhh! Love Story)!

He was an NRI, I, a simple girl from India. He was outgoing, me an introvert. He was ambitious, me living life as it came. Yet, we bonded together. Don't know how! May be opposites attract was just coming in action, and I was holding my heart which was constantly running out to the man in front of me. This man, who could be my life partner, not for this birth but for the seven next ones as believed in the Hindu way of living...I was falling in love for sure!

Love, an overrated word, and I think the most googled word too. Who is not in search of this divine feeling? When our families met and they fell in love with each other (as happens only in India, marriage is the coming together of two families to be one!) , then we were introduced. We knew that the moms have liked the moms, the dads have bonded well and talked their secrets of trade together, the siblings have discussed, gossiped and made friends with each other, it was only me and 'Him' who were aliens to each other, except the bio-data stats we knew. We were put up to meet at a place which was replicating a small village in Rajasthan. The atmosphere was no where romantic, but was traditional. I wonder, if the parents knew the kids would drown in love and be lost in the romantic sea, so guard them with traditional ambience. Voila! how right were the parents, as always! 

'Him' and I started talking, and to our surprise none of us felt we could be talking to our future partner. We hit upon our school days, our love for reading, music and poetry. We laughed together, and I still remember our families going crazy by our look and wondering, "hey, are they gonna be married or staying friends". That ease of talking, laughing and sharing prompted us to like each other. "A husband is a friend forever" was the kind of husband I always believed in. I wanted a best friend with my hands in his hands. I wanted to see my 'bestest' buddy's face every morning I woke up. I wanted to roll in laughter at a comedy movie with my closest pal who won't stop laughing seeing me rolling! Yes, I was definitely falling, you could say, drowning in love with 'Him'. 

The evening went relaxed, we finished our awesome Rajasthan cuisine and came to realize we liked same food too. The love for music, the friendliness, the mutual comfort in talking, the dream to become someone in life, the family values we shared ...yes, I think it was an YES. The moment we bid goodbyes, I still remember the way he said, "it was nice meeting you, Shaifali"! My heart leaped and I was nervous, because somewhere in my heart I was saying the same, "it was nice meeting you!".  

No wonder, the night turned out to be a day, I was wide awake. I was listening to his voice as I lay awake that night in my bed. I was happy to have found whom my parents adored and whom I liked, and with whom I wanted to experience the word "Love". The following days were restless, he had said YES. We were going to be engaged!  It was like a love story where I have found my prince charming with whom I could make rare, pure, everlasting love come true.  The day I met him, the day we said 'I do' was like a Platinum day of love for me. I have realized it was he I wanted to spend my life with, it was he that was meant for me and I for him!

After 9 years of being together, of being happily married, I can say it was a Platinum choice I made. True love, like Platinum does't fade away by the mundaneness of everyday chores. 

I wear 'Him' like a smile, like a piece of my soul and I live happily. 

"In the cacophony of the world

In the thick piles of work

In the mundane chores of everyday

In the bustle of crowd

In the bargain of the compromises

In the race of time, 

...I just took a second

   I peeped inside my soul!

I found you-

Rare, Pure, Eternal- my Platinum!"

I know, next year is going to be my Platinum year of continuing eternal love, my Platinum is going to buy a Platinum collectible for me!

*I wrote this heartfelt, real and unshared confession for Platinum Day of Love contest on Indiblogger.

**The image of the hand-cuff bracelet is a capture I took to show my life partner what he should gift me ;). I clicked it while traveling around the globe with him, on a SouthWest flight in California from their 'Sky Mall' promotional magazine!

"Artist"

बादलों का टुकड़ा चमकता 

नीले से आकाश के बेक्ड्रोप पर,

खेतों की हरियाली उभरती 

पत्ता-दर-पत्ता 

उसके कैनवस पर,

लालिमा सूरज की कैद होती 

नारंगी हरश्रृंगार सी 

उसकी कूंचियों से ....

दूर से दिखाई पड़ती 

रंगीन 

शोख़ 

एक खूबसूरत तस्वीर ,
लेकिन…. 

जो नहीं दिखता 

जो नहीं उभरता 

वो स्याह हो चला रंग इश्क का 

शायद, वो छोड़ चली गयी उसे ...

देखो कैसे 

सूरज की शोख़ी में,

फसलों की ख़ुशहाली में 

अपने उँगलियों में समाई कूंची में 

समेट रहा है उसे 'वो' 

पगला कहीं का 

दीवाना!

हरसूं तुम ...

सूरज की कविता कहूँ या 
चाँद का जिक्र करूँ ...

खुशबू में इठलाऊ या 

तितलियों में रंग भरूँ ...

पहाड़ों में गुनगुनाऊ या
दरख्तों में विचरण करूँ ...

शब्दों में सजाऊं या 

एहसासों में पिरोउं  ...

... हर भाव 

    हर प्रकृति 

    हर सीरत 

    हर सूरत 

बस तुम्हें ही पाऊं !

अभिमन्यु ...

अभिमन्यु, 

शायद दूसरा नाम है मेरा!

अभिमन्यु ही तो बन रही हूँ,

अभिमन्यु ही तो थी.

तुझसे मिलने पे समाई तुझमें

हर कतरा-कतरा, हर क्षण, हर पल

और आज,

तुझसे जुदा हो कर भी फसीं हूँ चक्रव्यूह में.

कैसे निकलूं यादों के कौरवों से बाहर,

कैसे तोड़ दूँ स्पर्श-स्पंदन-रूह के रिश्ते

लगता है, जीवन के इस लम्बे-निर्मम चक्र में

अभिमन्यु ही शायद बन रह जायेगा नाम मेरा!

I penned this poem for the 'शब्दों की चाक पर' program which is aired twice in a month on RadioPlayBackIndia. Click here to listen to this poem and many other poems based on the theme 'मेरे मन का अभिमन्यु'-

http://radioplaybackindia.blogspot.in/2012/09/a.html

आप के लिए, माँ!

Today on my Mom's special day, her birthday, I would like to share this poem with her through my blog. I penned this poem in January 2006 but never showed it to her. But today, when the distance between us is far for me to buy her a gift, I would present her with my affection and respect through 

this poem.

 

जब मुस्कुराती हूँ मैं

तुम मेरी मुस्कराहट में होती हो

मेरे साथ मुस्कुराती हुई.

जब रोती हूँ मैं 

तुम्हारी आँखें भी नम देखी है 

मेरे साथ रोती हुई.

जब पग उठाती हूँ मंजिल की ओर

होती हो हर आशीष में तुम

मुझे हिम्मत देती हुई.

जब देखती हूँ अपनी लकीरों को मैं

दिखाई देती हो उनमें साथ मेरे

मेरा जीवन बनी हुई.

जब आँखों में काजल सजा होता है

होती हो हर खूबसूरती में

मेरा रूप बनी हुई.

जब चूड़ियों को पहन इठलाती हूँ

होती हो उनकी खनक में आप

खुश होती हुई मेरे साथ.

जब सोचती हूँ,

जब सांस लेती हूँ,

पाती हूँ आपको मेरी धड़कन बने हुए,

मेरे जीवन का सार बने हुए...

...हा, सच कहा किसी ने-

'ईश्वर हर जगह नहीं हो सकता

इसीलिए बनाया उसने माँ को',

इसीलिए तो-

   मेरे हर वर्ष में,

         हर मास में,

   मेरे हर दिन में,

         हर क्षण में,

    रहती हो माँ आप..

आपको बहुत स्नेह ओर नमन!

आज फिर!

पलकों में ख्वाब लिए

आज इंतज़ार किया,

उस पैगाम का जो आया ही नहीं,

तुम्हारी साँसों में मेरा नाम नहीं

शायद आज!

आँखें बंद कर देखा मैंने

गहरे समंदर का विस्तार

याद किया नीले आकाश वाला

तुम्हारा वो प्यार, मगर बादल

बरसे आज और मेरी आँखें भी!

दिल पर हाथ रख मैंने

महसूस किया धडकनों का पागल वेग,

भाग रही थी बेतहाशा तुम्हे खोजती हुई

मगर नहीं आये तुम,

कई और दिनों की ही तरह.

पागल नादान धड़कने रूठी बैठी है अब!

नीले समंदर और नीले आकाश

में तस्वीर है तुम्हारी और तुम्हारा रंग भी,

चाहकर भी नहीं छूट पाता

जीवन में यही रंग बचा हो जैसे,

बाकी सारे रंगों से जीवन अनजान है अब शायद!

आज फिर इंतज़ार ही नाम

था मेरा दूसरा ,

बस इतना बता दो,

तुम्हारा क्या नाम था? 

तुम्हारे लिए.

१)

कविता में तुम

या 

तुम से कविता

और मै कहा बीच मे तुम दोनों के ?

आज यही सोच रही हू मै.

 

२)
आज जाना मैंने,
आँसूं नमकीन क्यों  होते है
तुम्हारी यादों से जो गुजर
आ बैठे है इन पलकों मे.

कभी-कभी

 

 

दिन डूबते ही दिल भी डूबने लगता है,

दीप जलते ही किसी की यादों की रोशनी सताने लगती है.......

Shri Jagjit Singhji's ghazal- "दिन डूबा तुम याद आये" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rcZ4of1IuA) inspired this poem of mine. I have always been in strong admiration of his ghazals. The pain and love as depicted in his voice is unparallely deep, the one that I have not been able to find & feel in any other ghazal singer's voice. I am sure a lot of fans of JS would agree with me. I don't have the exact number of years with me that I can use and say, yes I have been listening to his ghazals from these many years...it feels like forever from the time I had senses enough to understand, his ghazals were an integral part of my life.

There was a time when we (me & my brother) waited for his new albums. Those were the days of the cassettes...we used to buy JS's albums on our birthdays. I bought a cassette for him on his birthday (just because I wanted to own it), and he used to do the same! JS is no more, he passed away on 10th October, this year, and a lot of people are sad with his demise. For me, this feeling is yet to sink in. I won't ever be able to listen to him 'live' again...is something I feel very bad about. I heard him 'live' on 17th July 1999 when he came to Indore, my home town. I so much wished to listen to him once more, alas! He will always be cherished in hearts of his fans, and his ghazals will always be heard eternally! May he rest in peace forever.

My poem inspired by his this ghazal-

कभी-कभी 

हर आहट पर लगता था

तुम आये हो.

कभी-कभी

हर खुशबू मे लगता था  

तुम महके हो.

कभी-कभी

हर झोंके मे लगता था

तुमने छुआ है मुझे.

कभी-कभी 

हर राग मे लगता था

तुमने कुछ कहा है.

कभी-कभी

हर धड़कन मे लगता था

तुमने ही सांस ली है.

कभी-कभी......

Broken wings....

The days continue for me, when I have no clue what's inside my heart and what's coming on paper. The day started quite early today as I had a trip to the airport in the wee hours of morning. When I returned I was awake with my sweet ginger tea, a poetry book, some songs and a bit of Facebook. I tried to listen to some new singers (new for me), and eventually from Eagles, Beetles, Celion Dion, Kailash Kher, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and KK, I finally settled with my ultimate favorite- Jesse McCartney's 'Just So You Know'  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pts-t0mGEYE&feature=related). This is where the seeds of this poem emerges from. I don't think there is any connection, but it's just that the music & emotions in this song that gave me the feel for this particular poem. I want to try a different writing style, few words sketching a picture! Its new for me because I write clear meanings with relatively long poems. But recently, hidden words giving clear picture is what I have on my mind. A small trial, this one-

Stick by stick,

high up in the sky

perhaps just beneath the clouds

she made her nest.

Beautiful mornings took birth

enchanting evenings 

she lived merrily with

when Love reigned.

Today, a storm appeared

it blew everything off

she was found lying wing-less

just when Love left.

Day 77: 'शिशिर ऋतू'

आंसूँ मोती लगते है
तेरी याद मे जब झलकते है.

यादें खूबसूरत हो जाती है
समेटे तुझे जब चली आती है.

मिटटी महक उठती है
बारिश मे  जब तेरी सीरत होती है. 

दुःख सुख आसान लगते है
जब हाथ तेरा होता है मेरे हाथो मे.

सब खोना जिंदगी मे बेमानी है अब
पाया हो जब तुझे अपने आप मे.

The art of raising a child

Recently I have been realizing that raising a child is an 'art'. I hope I am able to get my thoughts organized in this blog because there is so much to write (and simultaneously understand and think). This post has all that I am feeling nowadays. It is what I have been listening from various sources, it is what I have been reading, it is what I am thinking about and trying to figure out.

Birth of a child brings so much happiness, and more than that it bring responsibility. But initially, happiness owerpowers the responsibility factor. It is gradually realized that the baby is not a toy/or only a source of joy, you as parents are so much the determining force and factor in its life that you are 'RESPONSIBLE'. This does not mean that you become responsible. Atleast to me the meaning of real responsiblity is sinking in now, now my baby, my angel is one and I am constantly, each day realizing that yes, I am supposed to bring discipline in myself, in my life so that I become responsible and competent enough to make my child an amazing human being and a successful, happy person.

Sometimes I wonder that there is a very fine line between discipline and loving your baby. Most of the first-time parents love their child so much that they tend to overlook the discipline factor. No doubt, the child needs lots and lots of love and warmth. But the discipline should always be present. It does not mean enforcing it through scoldings or even beating your baby, it can come through just one look and the baby should know 'NO'.

* I will keep writing to this post as I have to organize my thoughts and everyday is a new experience, hence can not really finish this one.