Empty wine glass
Stale pizza
Cold naked toes
Sun left me lightless

Fridge is road-trip distance
Further to the sock drawer
Light switch is moons away
Remote earns its name

Where is my alacrity,
my willingness,
my zeal?

I’ve misplaced all my fervour,
ardour,
gusto,
warmth,
and spark

My promptness
and avidity
are now in
blue lividity

No relish,
bright celerity,
or genial rapidity

Just me
and stale pizza
--lamenting

Gone too soon
My lost sparkle

बूढ़ा हो चुका हूँ ।
अभी भी
मन के भीतर
गंगा जमुनी तहज़ीब का
जुनून बरकरार है ।
भीतर की मानसिकता
घुटने टेकने
क्षमा मांगने वाली रही है ,
फलत:अब तक
मार खाता रहा हूँ ।

अभी अभी
पहलगाम का
दुखांत सामने आया है ,
जिसने मुझे
मेरे अंत का मंज़र
दिखाया है।
अगर अब भी इस
गंगा जमुनी तहज़ीब के
जाल में फंसा रहा
तो यकीनन बहेलिए के
जाल में ,
उस द्वारा फेंके गए
दानों के लोभ में
ख़ुद को फंसा हुआ पाऊंगा,
कभी छूट भी नहीं पाऊंगा।
बस उस के जाल में
फड़फड़ाता रह जाऊंगा।
शाम तक
रात के भोजन का
निवाला बनने के निमित्त
हांडी पर पकाया जाऊंगा।
यह ख्याल
अभी अभी
जेहन में आया है।
मुझे शत्रु बोध की
अनुभूति होनी चाहिए।
मुझे मिथ्या सहानुभूति
कतई नहीं चाहिए।
कब तक अबोध बना रहूंगा ?
बूढ़ा होने के बावजूद
बच्चों सा तिलिस्मी माया जाल में
फंसा हुआ तिलमिलाता रहूंगा।
कब मेरे भीतर शत्रु बोध पैदा होगा ?
.... और ‌मैं अस्तित्व रक्षा में सफल रहूंगा।
आप भी अपने भीतर शत्रु बोध  को जागृत कीजिए।
अपने प्रयासों से जिजीविषा को तीव्रता से अनुभूत कीजिए।
सुख समृद्धि और सम्पन्नता से नाता जोड़ लीजिए।
२९/०४/२०२५.

the saddest part of dying
is what you forgot to do
the ideas born in lucid dreams
that vanished in the hue
the mountains never seen
the oceans never crossed
the poems written on scraps of paper
a lover's smile now lost
the tears you held inside
the chances never taken
the landscape of your life
an oasis now forsaken

Staring at nature , dreams are near
Right in front of me
Life storms by like a hurricane
When life gives no answers
Ask nature to help
Animals listen
Fresh air, cool breeze
Warm days, different ways
Staring off in space
Feeling calm, quiet solitude
Watching baby bird
Build her nest
Sweet, sweet
Little bird
I can’t believe, I can see
All these animals
In these woods
Staring at nature

Like a stream that meanders
Cantering music sweet
Caprice treads whimsical
Lightly on her feet.

Like the wind that doesn't know
Where to gently breeze
Caprice breathes here, then there
... the air touched 'n teased.

Like the midnight stars that twinkle 
Through the darkness peer
Caprice in a wink
Appears to disappear.

Like the morning sunlight
That hides, then lights up hills
Caprice scampers up and down
Never a moment still.

Like waves and ocean tides
That ebb, rise and flow
Caprice heaves night and day..
Between her joys and woes.

Like raindrops and the rainbow
That hold the other's hand
Caprice sighs and smiles
In but a single glance.        

I wonder... if you sense her
Her murmurs, feel her warm breath
Caprice... right behind you —
Though you haven't seen her yet.

The cartographer coddled by the satnav
He used to be king of the map
But he's become so reliant on it
Feels He should hand his qualifications back

The photographer produced such sterling work
Unattainable to the average ****
Now his darkroom tricks
Honed over decades
Leaves all cold
who can't do that?
We all reckoned

The scriptwriter a decade back
Pretended empathy with the working man
Total automation was the track
No human error was the plan
I'm ok I'm a creative they wouldn't dare replace me
Besides he laughed
No virtual engine could capture
The eternal verities.