Two Urdu poems written by me-unpublished yet- but sharing

 

I realize that to date, I have never posted any of my Urdu/Hindi poetries only because I have not had success in getting any published individually (only as I never submitted them to the relevant platform as I was in USA earlier). Anyways, I have decided to post two of my Urdu poetries (typed in Hindi font) here.

For some of them I had time stamps as to when I composed them, but for others I did not...

This is the first one:

1. 

तस्बीह 

"ये जो बेहिसाब अश्क बेह्ते है

तुम्हरी आँखो से...

इन्हे बेकीमत मत समझो...

ये तस्बीह है...

सिर्फ़ तुम वो धागा

नही देख सकते जो तस्बीह 

के मोतियो को एक रखता है...

पर इनका काम इबादत करना ही है,

आँखो मे बसी रूह 

 गम से सरोशार होकर 

ये तस्बीह पढ़ती है...

इसके हर अश्क़ में 

खुदा का ही नाम 

बसा है..."

- शिल्पी गोयनका 

९ अप्रैल २०२० 

2. For this poem (written many years ago), it is extremely close to my heart and heavily inspired by a person who I never ever met and is no longer alive, but the inspiration comes from few lines of a song sung by that person...:))..Its a prayer of the soul asking for its twin half of the soul which is waiting in prayer......

एक सितारा 

"कौन से कहकशा में अब तुम हो

इसी कश्मकश में हूँ,

काश एक मर्तबा, तुम

उस कहकशा से एक सितारा 

बनकर, टूट के गिरोगे कभी,

इसी करिश्मे की जुस्तजू में,

मैं अपने कांच के सपनो से

भरे आँचल को फैलाये रखती हूँ,

याद है अब भी, तुम कहा करते थे,

"दिल में बाकी रहे प्यार की  याद तो

कांच की चूड़ियां टूट सकती नहीं"

- शिल्पी गोयनका 

A published poem: Bards Annual Poetry 2014

 

Sharing one of the poems that was my very first poem to be published in Bards Annual Poetry Anthology in the year 2014. Here is the poem:

A published poem: Bards Annual Poetry 2017

Sharing one of the poems I penned that was published in the Bards Annual Poetry in the year 2017.

One of the themes of this poem is that of remembering, but dying, both of which in reality are synonymous, as the experience of dying invokes a flash of memories in the brain (also confirmed by neuroscientists), as the body is trying one final time to live (remember fragments of memories)... 

It could also be interpreted as someone who slips in and out of coma (although I have not had that experience). Anyhow, there are many layers in this poem, and I think it's best to leave that interpretation to readers (if any).

Poem published: Nassau County Poetry Laureate Society (NCPLS) 2017

 

Sharing one of my poems that was published in the Nassau County Poetry Laureate Society (NCPLS) in the year 2017. The poem is as follows:

This poem was written  from a place /state/ feeling of complete darkness and feeling the heavy burden or suffocation if I may say from the world and its turbulences ( the waves), hence I  personified the pearl in the shell that is typically at the very bottom of ocean bed, ( and the fact that there is layer of shell locking it or imprisoning it already)

For some reason, I felt a resonance to the idea that is in one of the verses from the holy Quran (Surah An-Nur 24:40), that actually mentions about the deep darkness at the very depth of ocean and waves below waves (internal waves and turbulences) , and they liken that to be state of a disbeliever who longs for light...

I was in awe of this as I actually did not know about this verse when I composed my poem...but somehow the themes resonated.

Interestingly, I also stumbled upon a piece of music (see below the link) by a new age artist, but that for some reason evoked same emotions as my poem, hence I decided to share, the music is here:

Elijah Siegler - All the places I will never go 

Poem published: The Hands We Hold 2019

 

Sharing one of the poems I penned, that was selected for publication in the "The Hands We Hold", a poetry anthology in Long Island, in the year 2019. The criteria for submission of the set of poems were that that the poems had to be based on the theme of illness/cancer.

Anyhow, I initially was not sure if I want to post it (although it was already selected/ published) and as it's a sensitive topic on which I wrote and due to privacy reasons, I do not want to provide interpretations/ analysis. 

 I decided to post as ultimately it talks of inspiration and to keep the faith in God, no matter whichever form or faith...

Here is the poem:

The Twin Balance

"My dear twin sister

I always wished Lord Christ

to come and live inside my heart,

But instead, He gave me a

hole in my heart-

a congenital heart condition:

ventricular septal defect,

a small chunk of tissue

missing from the place.

And look at you,

your left breast closest to

your own heart

a small chunk of tissue,

overgrowing voraciously-

a diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma.

 

An imbalance, a terrible mistake,

an aberrant error of nature

or a planned coincidence?

one in need and one in excess,

the misaligned balance -

a twisted infinity.

 

I visited you in the hospital the other day,

after your last chemotherapy,

with a soft bunch of synthetic hair

the color you like- dark brown,

you asked me to arrange to offer flowers to

Lord Shiva in the temple on your behalf,

Like the crescent moon adorning Lord Shiva's head

beauty is that which is not full but cut out,

like the breast in mastectomy, you had suggested,

and I asked you why you still

worshipped a God who could not be one with

his ardent devotee in times of pain,

Perhaps, Lord Shiva should also go through

human sufferings like my Lord Christ went,

and should understand pain of cancer

and feel like how it is to lose His hair

at which you remarked with a broken smile-

If Lord Shiva lost His hair

where would the holy Mother Ganges go,

who is held in Shiva's long locks,

whose gushing pure waters quench

mankind’s thirst on the earth?

Perhaps, if Mother Ganges got cancer

she would not need to worry about hair

and no one would identify her tears

for they would be mixed with the waters

which will flow through Shiva’s hair

adorning his beauty as well.

Shiva is keeping one mother safe

In His long locks just as Christ is keeping

one sister safe in the palm of His hand

Which has the hole from the cross…

Both of us are held by the highest God

In different ways, I realize now,

Let us remain united in faith,

A common cord connects both

Of our hearts even now…."

-Shilpi Goenka

 

The Tune of Tenderness- one of my poems that received honorary mention (NCPLS) in 2016

 

I stumbled across one of my poems (in English) that I wrote almost ten years ago, and it got into honorary mention (just after the top 3 finalists) in the prestigious Nassau County Poet Laureate Society (NCPLS) in the year 2016.  (Poetry Contest Winners | Nassau County Poet Laureate Society)

That was one of the poems which was inspired directly from music (or rather a musician) so-to-speak and when I composed it (in a coffeeshop in Stony Brook, New York), I had the faintest idea that it would get accolades or get accepted. Unfortunately, I did not have any printed version or book version of that year (perhaps it may not have been released), where the poetry could be found, hence I thought now is the best time to post it and share it on my blog, especially as its already published. 

I remember when I read it during the award ceremony (when the certificate was given to the winners and the honorary candidates), I did reveal the source or the muse of my poem. I thought it's apt to share it here too. But first of all, here is the poem:

Tune of Tenderness

 

I see the way you comfort

The trembling cello.

You rock it delicately,

Gently,

Soothing its

Tense strings.

The motion-

One of calmness,

Motherliness,

Loveliness.

 

The cello,

Like the fearful child,

Disperses her fears,

Pain and hurts,

In the tunes-

The tune of tenderness

 

And I am assured-

When I come to you,

I will not be disappointed.

-Shilpi Goenka

So, as its obvious, the focus of my poem was a man playing the cello, and truth be told, I was listening to the music of the popular band -2Cellos which has two amazing musicians from Croatia, namely, Luka Šulić and Stjepan Hauser. I was trying to find out which particular video I listened to which evoked that emotion which I channeled in words, however, I could not locate the exact video, but I think it must have been one of these videos only (12 years ago). 

2CELLOS - Gabriel's Oboe (The Mission)

Gypsy Airs (Concert for Japan) - LUKA SULIC

2CELLOS - Benedictus (by Karl Jenkins) [LIVE at Arena Zagreb]

(88) 2CELLOS - Fields of Gold [LIVE at Arena Pula] - YouTube 

Both the musicians are so gifted and humorous too, although Luka is less funny but more on a serious note, perhaps that may have been the muse for me. I think his beauty and grace and passion inspired the emotion which I transformed into simple words, which eventually did find familiarity with the judge(s) who selected it.

                                                                           Shot of the musician Luka playing his cello...

Ek vairaagi ek sansaari -devotional poem by Indian actor

 

I recently heard a poem (that also has been enacted in Indian traditional dance forms online) and was mesmerized by it. Later, I found that it was actually composed by the Indian actor (Saurabh Raj Jain) while he spent time in Vrindavan. Interestingly, he is well-known for playing the role of Lord Krishna in TV serial Mahabharata and hearing and watching him does make one believe that he is channeling the spirit of Krishna as he holds that aura himself... The recitation of the poem by the amazing actor can be heard here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxe-wdKoUBm/?igsh=a2VoaWRibHVudGZh

The words of the poem are as follows:

"ek vairaagi, 

dooja sansaari

ek damroo se hosh udaave

dooja bansuri ke sur se lubhave

ek kar tandav ahankaar mitave

dooja ungliyon par naach nachave

ek lagake bhasm ramjave

dooja morpankh mathey sajave

ek teesri aankh darave

dooja apni muskaan chalave

ek jataa ganga bahave

dooja yamuna shaant karave

ek maya ke haath na aave

dooja maya ko aap ghumave

ek yog mein dhyan lagave

dooja bhog ke ladoo khave

ek dhyaan main dooje ko sumire

dooja ek main khud khojave

ek vairagi

ek sansaari"

   --Saurabh Raj Jain

Peaceful Sufi poetry song

 Sharing two songs (parts of series), that are based on the poetry of the Sufi poet and mystic Mian Muhammad Bakhsh. The English translation of the song appears in the video. The music, words, and the video of the song are divine and invoke peace...

here are they:

Ahmad Hussain - Saif ul Malook سیف الملوک Part 1 | Official Video

 

Ahmad Hussain - Saif ul Malook سیف الملوک Part 2 | Official Video

 

The White of the Swan

 

I'm sharing a particularly moving and poetic sequence from the critically acclaimed Hindi film Gangubai  (link of the scene:  Instagram). The heroine's beauty and the description of the various white hues captivate the hero, who is a tailor who brings various white outfits for the heroine to select from. When the heroine requests that he display all of the white sarees and provide a recommendation, he responds that since they are all white, she can choose from any of them. But then the heroine responds in a very artistic and lyrical manner:

“ kon sa wala safed?

Chaand wala ya baadal wala safed?

Kaagaz wala safed ya

Gulaab wala safed?

Barf wala safed

Namak wala safed

Doodh wala safed ya

Shankh wala safed?”

 

After a moment of pause, the smitten hero replies,” hans wala safed.”

(Image of Heroine after she hears reply of the actor)

I also did the English translation that is:

Heroine:

“which hue of white?

The white of the moon or the cloud?

Or is it white of the paper, or

 the rose?

The white of the ice

The white of the salt

The white of the milk or

The white of the conch?

 

Hero replies, “The white of the swan.”

 

Interestingly, the heroine describes all different hues of white (which are not necessarily pure white) while the hero replies to a completely different answer which captures the true purity of white- the white of the swan. The fact that he had a mind and heart of his own which only saw the purity of the heroine and thus likens the white to the white of the swan symbolizing her purity, although in that movie the heroine played the role of a prostitute.

What I find so captivating about this scene is not only its poetry and depth and the purity of love the actors shared in their roles on screen, but the fact that in life, sometimes, we are limited to the colors or shades of something based on our limited perception of it, and what appears may not be a true reflection of the real, but a hue or a shade. Sometimes, it may take the eyes of another artist to see the truth of the color and the true purity of it...and in this case, those eyes are the eyes of love, and not lust...

    Indeed, the purity of love is symbolized by the white of the swan and the swan itself, check this beautifully poignant video reunion #love #birds #birdslover#swans #nature, I found on the web, where one of the swans is reunited with the other swan after a period of separation, and the moment of reunion is truly magical. Indeed, the two swans are a symbol of purity of love worldwide..

                                                               

SENSE OF SOUL

Sharing one of my poems that was one of the two poems selected for the Bards Annual Poetry Anthology (Long Island, 2014).  Here is the poem:

"These eyes of mine
Do not like the sight
Of people obese
Far from the beauty of the body
But inside, my mind is at ease
When it has a big fat ego
Inflated till eternity

These lait-colored hands
Of mine, do not like
To touch the black
Complexion and the race inferior
But inside there is a corner
Shamelessly black in the heart

These ears of mine
Do not like to hear
Words vilifying and not sounding
Joyful and encouraging, but
Every time I hear
Satan’s voice inside of me
Tempting, demeaning
Hiding the conscience and alluring
Directing to all fear

I do not like the smell
Odoriferous of rotten ground
And slums steeped
In filth and poverty
But inside, deepest crevices
Of the body, lie smells
Unsweet and hidden
Like the path less trodden

This tongue of mine
Does not relish
The alcohol and the drink
But inside the veins, flows
The wine of heaven on the brink

What these external
Organs of sense perceive
Is not dissimilar from
My core, now I believe

But today I want to
Place my greater faith on
That which is perfect
And without prejudice
That which perceives the outside
From the inside hole,
The perfect sixth sense
And they call it the ‘soul’"

-------------Shilpi, Dec 27,2009

Poem from the hindi movie Paap

Hi,
I would like to share a very beautiful poem which was recited by the actress Udita (playing Kaya) in the Pooja Bhatt-directed movie Paap. The sublime poetry (see below) is in Hindi:

"Kholo kholo apni aankhen

aur gaur se suno ...

dene ko toh bahut kuch hai,

par apna sa kuch dena chahti hoon ...

 

 ek boond suraj ki,

ek qatra aasman ka,

koyal ki aadhi kook

aur kuch jagmagate sapne ...

 

achcha lage toh aur maango ...

dene ko toh bahut kuch hai,

par apna sa kuch dena chahti hoon ...

 

 aasman sa aaina,

ek dibbi titliyon ki,

ek chamach nadi ki dhar,

 aur ek mutthi zindagi ...

achcha lage toh aur maango ...

dene ko toh bahut kuch hai,

par apna sa kuch dena chahti hoon"

-https://www.filmyquotes.com/movies/939

 I have translated it in English for the viewers. Here is the English translation:

"Open, Open your eyes

And listen carefully,

Many things are there which can be given 

But I want to give something personal to you

One drop of the sun,

A fragment of the sky,

Half song of the cuckoo bird,

And some glittering dreams

If that feels good, ask for more

Many things are there which can be given 

But I want to give something personal to you

Sky akin mirror,

A box of butterflies,

A spoon of the river,

And one handful of life

If that feels good, ask for more

Many things are there which can be given 

But I want to give something personal to you"

Poem- God's smile

Hi,
I'd like to share a small sweet poem I wrote which was inspired from a photograph. Here it goes:

Poem:  God's smile

And then the moon

Waned and waned

Until

it could be illustrated

to the world

that God does

also

smile

once in while

--Shilpi, Aug 18, 2013

Movie- How to Make an American quilt- poetry lines

Hi,

I would like to share some meaningful quotes and snippets of poetry  from a beautiful movie  "How to make an American Quilt", which I had watched a long time ago.  (Again, I am compensating for my laziness in penning down then by posting it now)

Following are the few deep dialogues and poetry I found in the movie:

1.
 Self expression heals the wounded heart

2.
Young lovers seek perfection,
Old lovers learnt the art of sowing shreds together
 and of seeing beauty in the multiplicity of patches.

3.
You have to choose your combinations carefully
The right choices wont enhance the colors
The wrong choices would dull the colors, hide their original beauty,
There are no rules you can follow, you have to go by instincts
And you have to be brave.
(This one was about making  quilt)

P.S. In all this movie still reverberates in my heart, was indeed very nice

Poem The Heights of Machu Picchu- Pablo Neruda

Hi all,

I came across a poem piece titled "The Heights of Machu Picchu" by none other than Pablo Neruda (see part of the poem below). The poetry is very beautiful and vivid and the reason I am posting it here is because I had been recently reading about the Inca mummies and their ritual of Capacocha ceremony practised high up in the  Andes mountains and volcanoes, where they would often perform child sacrifice (sounds dreading)

The lovely Andes mountains stand tall, bearing a majestic testimony to the Inca culture (Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/80_-_Machu_Picchu_-_Juin_2009_-_edit.2.jpg

More info on Capacoha (gosh, I can't help confusing it with cappuchino coffee) can be found at http://archaeology.about.com/od/caterms/qt/capacocha.htm

Here is the lovely poem: (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/canto-xii-from-the-heights-of-macchu-picchu/

I come to speak for your dead mouths.

Throughout the earth
let dead lips congregate,
out of the depths spin this long night to me
as if I rode at anchor here with you.

And tell me everything, tell chain by chain,
and link by link, and step by step;
sharpen the knives you kept hidden away,
thrust them into my breast, into my hands,
like a torrent of sunbursts,
an Amazon of buried jaguars,
and leave me cry: hours, days and years,
blind ages, stellar centuries.

And give me silence, give me water, hope.

Give me the struggle, the iron, the volcanoes.

Let bodies cling like magnets to my body.

Come quickly to my veins and to my mouth.

Speak through my speech, and through my blood. 

Pablo Neruda

Literature Gathering-poem read out- Updated

Hi,
I don't know why I should not have written this post long time back (1 year ago), anyways, I wanted to share on my blog about something, which is more like an honor for me. It was the time when one of my English poems (Words of Pearl) whose theme was based on Persian culture was read in a literature gathering in Edmonton, Canada at University of Edmonton, by Mahdi, a member of the literature gathering. He printed out copies of my poem (with my picture :)) and read it out. I mention that it was more an honor because in that gathering, students generally read out poetries of great poets like Farough and Hafez!



(Picture sent by Mahdi! Thanks again!)

I have decided to post the full poem (it was written in English by me in April 2010). This poem was written from imagination and sheer magnetism of the culture my soul was recognizing at that time of my life...

Here is the poem (its technically not published in any anthology yet):

"

Your words of pearl

 

"O! My Prized possession

O! My Persian Pearl

This is you born in Esfahan.

My Pearl of Persia

My half of world.

I am standing in the bazaar in Esfahan

Waiting for you

And I hear your words from afar.

 

Sometimes,

Your words are like

The flavorful Kermani Gaz

Melting in my heart.

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Sweet and scented Zafaran

Imparting colour to my white soul

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Fragrance wafting in spring

Like the Persian rose

Like the Persian lime

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Colors meeting my eyes

When meadow is full

Of daffodils, tulips, iris, hyacinth

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Melody flowing

From Santoor

From sehtar

Like the

Symphony of peace

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Zendeh River flowing

 Through the ragged curves

Of my ear, my body

Reaching my heart

Lying like the Yazd desert

And enlivening it finally.

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Rich embroidery

On my Persian carpet

The magic carpet

From Esfahan.

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Refreshing and pure breeze

Emanating from the Caspian Sea

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Sacred quatrains

Of Hafez Shirazi

 

Or may be

Your words are like the

Chalices of wine

Intoxicating to core

 

Even amidst the clamour

And the labyrinth like paths

Of the Grand bazaar of Isfahan

Your words reach me.

 

The words of

Love on your lips

Are like the sacred fire

Burning since thousands of years

In the holy temple

In Chak Chak

And my lips

Becoming like the

Simorgh bird

When they meet your lips.

 

My Pearl, My prized possession.

We are like the two free

Gay goldfishes,

Going around

And around.

In the same

Glass jar."

 

----Shilpi, 14 April 2010

P.S. I realized that the photo of the part of the poem features a middle name for me, but I should clarify I do not have any middle name, nor is Niloufar (a Persian name of a female meaning blue water lily) my mother's name, as my mother was a Hindu and Indian.. I think it was some confusion as I had originally posted my poem in facebook (which I now don't even use as it's a scam application) with that name using more like a pen name, but its not my name or part of it :))

THE BIRD SHALL RETURN

“O! God, please give me
True grace and solace
Every turmoil so that
I can then face.”

Lugubrious tidings,
Catastrophes outside,
Inner misgivings
Still I hide.

That which could have
Set me free
As you said once
Has left my lips
Like a barbaric bird
Wild and carefree

I bow down to you
My quivery hands
Reach out to you
May truth be each word!
When I open my heart to you

And then shall
Your grace
Set me free truly
And peace will light
The darkness clearly

The bird shall
Then return
With wings of Faith
And alight softly
Upon my lips
And through all clutter
My heart will feel
It’s peaceful flutter.


---Shilpi, 28 Dec, 2009