Shayaris Collections from Web-V

Continuing the series of sharing beautiful Shayris from various sources:

1.

"har koi juda mujhse faqat yun hi nahi hai

duniya main kahin meri zaroorat hi nahi hai,

vo dil mila mujhe jo dhadakna nahin chahe,

vo neend mili mujhko jo aati hi nahi hai

vo raat ka pal hu main jahan khwab na jugnoo,

vo phool hoon jisme koi khushboo hi nahin hai

vo naata hoon har koi jise todna chahe,

vo dar hoon jise koi dastak hi nahi hai"

-Mohammad Maasir

 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU3TdzBkoE2/

2.

"tujhe kya khabar mere humsafar,

main bikhar gaya kidhar kidhar

jo ho sake to mujhe fir bana,

meri saari khaak samet kar..."

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSZDvcYgplt/

-------------

3.

"samajh sake jo meri baat vo kalaam kare,

nahin samajhta to bas door se salaam kare

jise bhi chahiye khairaat main meri awaaz

Pehle vo meri khamoshi ka ehteram kare"

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7GXSubT2RjI

4.

"mere to dard bhi auron ke kaam aate hain,

main ro padoon to kai log muskurate hain"

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PDpagTdvXqU

 

 

5.

 Ishq se main dar chuka tha, dar chuka to tum mile

Dil to kab ka mar chuka tha, mar chuka to tum mile

Jab main tanha ghut raha tha, tab kahan thi zindagi

Dil bhi gham se bhar chuka tha, bhar chuka to tum mile

Beqaraari fir Mohabbat fir se dhokha ab nahi,

Faisla main kar chuka tha, kar chuka to tum mile…

-  @zaib_aurangzeb

6.

“tum to ab aaye ho is dasht-e-mohabbat ki taraf

Maine yeh khaak bahot pehle udaai hui hai.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DStv_RgCM21/

7.

"meri ankhon ko rihaai de

mujhe har jagah na dikhai de"

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ku9c32VQ4Cc

 8.

 "hum bhi phoolon ki tarha aksar tanha hi rehte hain

    kabhi khudse toot jate hain

     kabhi koi tod jata hai"

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTBHzCfk8jf/

A poem on Death: from an old Hindi Movie Anand

 

Sharing a very soulful poem that was penned by the Indian Urdu poet Gulzar and was recited in an old Hindi movie (Anand, 1971). The poem talks of death itself being like a poem. The theme of death is present in this movie as one of the actors (Rajesh Khanna), who plays the best friend of another actor (Amitabh Bachchan) is on the verge of death and in the end, does die...it's a poignant movie that showcases the thoughts and philosophies of how one views death and life...Anyways, the movie clip with then young actor (AB) reciting the poem can be heard here:

Maut Tu Ek Kavita Hai ❤️ | Anand (1971) | Heart Touching Scene #anand #amitabhBachchan #shorts

and the poem is as follows:

 

"मौत तू एक कविता है,

मुझसे एक कविता का वादा है मिलेगी मुझको

डूबती नब्ज़ों में जब दर्द को नींद आने लगे

ज़र्द सा चेहरा लिये जब चांद उफक तक पहुचे

दिन अभी पानी में हो, रात किनारे के करीब

ना अंधेरा ना उजाला हो, ना अभी रात ना दिन

जिस्म जब ख़त्म हो और रूह को जब साँस आऐ

मुझसे एक कविता का वादा है मिलेगी मुझको..."

A lovely song-Sapno ke Saudagar- Forgotten melody -2

 

I thought of sharing a song from an old Hindi movie (Dil Hai ki Manta Nahin, 1991). This song is from a movie which has very melodic songs, sung by the singer Anuradha Poudwal, whose devotional songs of God were the ones I grew up listening to... Her voice is very unique and melodious. The reason I posted this particular song is that its comparatively lesser-known song from this movie, and I was always captivated by this song from my childhood....

First, the song, it can be heard here:

O Mere Sapnon Ke Saudagar (Full Song) | Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | Aamir Khan, Pooja Bhatt | T-Series

 The lyrics of the song are so simple and beautiful, and the song itself is very simple and beautiful. I wonder now how they created such cinematic masterpieces in that era as songs of this era or even some of their videos are replete with vulgarity or fakeness..

The song is actually a dream which the actress (played by Pooja Bhatt) has when she misses her bus (as she was running away from her house) and is resting by a tree and drifts off to sleep...The whole visuals of the song are one beautiful dream. What I found particularly fascinating was that she sees some man (but in a typical western outfit) on a white horse but we are not shown the face and she is confused and decides to follow and has to row her boat herself all the way in the lake, and when she finally reaches a cave, which is shown as some heavenly place with angels welcoming her and helping her to find her Prince she is dreaming of...And almost finally her patience is giving away, and she is saddened and sits on the edge in despair, and all of a sudden the magic happens and a beautifully dressed man appears (in an Arabic looking attire), radiating purity, and we are not shown his face (and this person is NOT the same person on the horse who led her to that long journey)...The specific shots from the song are here:

The lyrics of the song were what I found equally beautiful, as she asks this merchant of her dreams to take her to a place where there is only love. The lyrics are as follows:

O Mere Sapno Ke Saudagar Lyrics Translation | Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | Hindi Bollywood Songs

From the words of the song, it's clear that the actress asks this merchant of her dreams (the prince) to sing along with her, hinting that they both are singers or gifted with music...and then she talks of the moon and the stars reference which is very sweet...and it appears she desires heaven (or the Jannah) as that is the only place where there is nothing but love and angels sing/ or sing of praises...

The funny part is that when the actress wakes up from her beautiful dream in the movie, she misses her bus, but bumps into the actor of the movie (Aamir Khan), although he is no way a comparison to the enigmatic and shrouded person shown in the song...:)

Anyways, the purity, beauty, simplicity, and the melody and lyric of this lesser-known song are worth posting about here...

Keep dreaming...

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

 

A very beautiful Sufi Kalam....Vairagya

 Sharing a Sufi Kalam, which is very recent and was posted by the Rumi Rythm channel. This song and its lyrics were so profound that I had to post about it.

First, the song can be heard here: Vairagya | ویرَگ | Heart Touching Sufi Kalam – Ishq ka Sajda

What I found intriguing about this particular song is that although it is a Sufi song, it has themes of Vedic knowledge and Hinduism, moreover, the title "Vairagya" is actually a Sanskrit word that means detached/ without passion / colors...a state of mind which the Hindu religion teaches. The metaphors of the lotus and about the boat in the ocean and to be like the water that just flows without any attachment, are indeed what are the knowledge given in Hindu scriptures (Gita)...

Each line is so beautiful that again it felt like the lyricist/poet just wrote what one needs to hear...Somehow what I find amusing is that one of an earlier Sufi song (Chiraag bujhaye kaise) that I posted talked of the dilemma of the person how to go back to the world..and somehow, this song gives the answer to that question...

It talks of the detached attachment...and to just flow..and while in the worlds' affairs, keep the Beloved in the heart..

The lines I found too deep are 

"haath kaam main ho, aur dil yaar main

yehi tareeqa hai , is bazaar main."

*One interesting thing I noticed was the YouTube video has a single scene ( I posted the snap below) of a man almost in prayer or remembering or in introspection...in a farm with so many sheep around.For some reason it reminded me of Jesus Christ (as the man even bears resemblance somewhat) as the one thinking of his 1 lost sheep, while the remaining 99 were near to him in the group (I think even the number of sheep shown in the photo are perhaps totaling to that number :))

                                                  Scene from the song

The soulful lyrics of this song are not available online; hence I have typed them here:

"keechad main khilta hai jaise kamal ka phool

waise hi reh tu, mat kar dunya qubool

rehna hai yehi magar dil kahin aur ho

bheed main bhi badi khamoshi ka shor ho...

paani main kashti ho

kashti main paani na ho

dunya main hasti ho

hasti main dunya na ho

yeh vairagya nahin

ki jungle bhaag jaaye

vairagya vo hai ki 

ghar main hi jaag jaaye

haath kaam main ho

aur dil yaar main

yehi tareeqa hai 

is bazaar main.

na kisi se nafrat na kisi se moh

bas behta ja, jaise nadi ka pravaah

saqi ne sikhaya rang main berang hona

sabke saath hokar bhi bas apne sang hona

udta parinda hoon, 

zameen par na paanv hain...

teri panaah hi..

ab meri chaanv hai...."

A beautiful song on Khuda- A forgotten melody-1

 

Sharing a song which I only recently came across, that comes from a very old Hindi movie (titled: Abdullah, released in 1980). The song can be heard here:

(130) Aai Khuda Har Faisla (Official Lyric Video) - Kishore Kumar | Sanjay Khan, Zeenat Aman | Abdullah - YouTube

The song is way too divine. First, due to the heavy use of the instrument rabab which is the soul of this song. Next, its lyrics (see below) are actually very sublime because they talk of the person (the actor here) who is beseeching and praying to God, but who starts with a total lack of hope. I found it interesting that he says" har dua meri kisi deewar se takra gayi, be-asar hokar meri faryaad wapas aa gayi" hinting his prayers remained unanswered/ returned..and he then reasons that his hopelessness and unanswered prayers are because perhaps, the heaven is indeed too far from the earth...

As song progresses, there is hope that replaces the earlier lack of hope. This is because he says about the loss of his son (in the movie) who is considered the light/ lamp/ chiraag of one's life...but then he accepts that God is the Light of the whole world whose noor/ light is so majestic and limitless that the light is still burning and lighting and he accepts the will of God.

Overall, in the song, the person is accepting of God's will and the way the poetry/lyrics go is very beautiful in my view.

lyrics from: Ae Khuda Har Faisla Tera - ऐ खुदा हर फैसला तेरा

Is ibaadat ka yahi dastoor hai-- a beautiful song "Noor"

 

Sharing a song (titled Noor) from an old Hindi movie called Delhi-6 (2009), this song is lesser known (a forgotten melody, if I may say so), and I find it to be short yet summarizing the gist of the purpose of life...As this song is almost having Sufism at its core in meanings, I was not surprised it was composed by AR Rahman...

The song is barely few lines poetry and is one of the few songs that is sung without the use of any musical instrument.

The song can be heard at this link:

DELHI 6 - NOOR (FULL SONG) - LYRICS

And the beautiful lyrics (with English translation) are available at this link: Noor Lyrics Translation | Delhi-6 | Hindi Bollywood Songs

These are the lyrics:

Noor Lyrics Translation | Delhi-6 | Hindi Bollywood Songs

Leyla and Majnoo story: a beautiful dialogue from a Hindi movie..

 

Sharing a particular scene from an old Hindi Movie that is based on the tragic story of the Persian/Arabic folk tale of Leyla (or Laila or Layla) and Majnoo. I was particularly captivated by the beauty of the dialogues and what Majno was trying to convey...The scene is available to watch here at this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdcpY1EEV1A

The lines where Majnoo says: 

And its English translation:

The lines spoken are very sublime, and I was reminded of two different poetries of Allama Iqbal with similar thoughts:

 "tere sajde tujhe kaafir na kar de Iqbal,

      Tu jhukta kahin aur hai aur sochta kahin aur hai.."

 "Ragon Mein Woh Lahoo Baqi Nahin Hai

       Woh Dil, Woh Arzoo Baqi Nahin Hai.

       Namaz-o-Roza-o-Qurbani-o-Hajj

        Ye Sub Baqi Hain, Tu Baqi Nahin Hai"

As the folk story goes, the love which Majnoo had for Leyla was so profound that he lost himself in it completely (turned into a Deewana- which translates to a madman), and in that state, he did not have any awareness of any other worldly thing or the rituals of religious practices...His love has often been compared to the love which the Sufis seek for the one Beloved...so much so that even the regard of so many traditional practices lose their charm or importance...all the lover (the Sufi) knows is continuously longing for the one. And in that he is often regarded as mad by the world...

Sang-e-Saboor: A deeply divine Persian Song

 

Sharing a beautiful Persian song (by Mohsen Chavoshi), that I listened to recently after almost a gap of 15 years..I was able to recognize the song by its specific music that is primarily played on the santoor...and the song felt so nostalgic and also apt at this time...The lyrics of the song are very beautiful and talk of loneliness from the perspective of a male. 

An interesting thing about this song is that sang-e-saboor actually translates to stone of patience. (the English translation shows it as a shoulder to cry on which is not the exact translation). However, the stone of patience was a book (and movie by the same name), and there is a legend that there used to be a stone that could listen to a person's troubles and sorrows (similar to a shoulder to cry on but metaphorically) and would keep on absorbing them all like a sponge until one fine day (unbeknownst to all) it would burst, almost signaling that it could take no more..For some reason this also resonated with the current turmoil which the country of Iran is in, almost like the sang-e-saboor bursting....

The original song can be heard here:

Mohsen Chavoshi - Sange Saboor [Lyric Video] (محسن چاوشی-سنگ صبور) 

The persian lyrics (english transliteration) and the English translation are below. 

The lyrics above are available here Mohsen Chavoshi - سنگ صبور (Sange Saboor) (English translation #2)

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/sange-saboor-sang-e-saboor.html

           Anyhow, the beauty of this song is the specific rhythms of santoor in it which make it very soulful. Interestingly, I happened to listen to it in piano version and was so mesmerized by the piano version (a cover by another artist) as it was able to recapitulate some of the complex santoor sounds used in the original song.

Sange saboor (Santouri) - Mohsen Chavoshi - piano Mohsen Karbassi - سنگ صبور- سنتوری - محسن چاوشی

This piano version is far ahead of its time and stands out amidst several piano compositions I have heard..In my view, this song is way too close to my heart, and I will always know its melody no matter what time..its almost an immortal song....

Vo jo uski umr bhar ka haasil tha: Remember to be grateful

 

I came across an interesting piece of information that pertains to the tiny creature- the Honeybee. (see the photo below). It turns out that the little teaspoon of honey which a person consumes is in fact a sum total of so much hard work and encompasses the lifetime struggles and journeys of several honeybees...

How often have we taken a moment to reflect that the honey we consume so quickly (which is also called as the nectar of life, holding a myriad of scientific benefits for the human body) was not given so easily to us, but was someone's else's life's treasure (almost like mata-e-jaan) or almost umr bhar ka haasil...

Have we ever paused, and expressed gratitude at this spoonful of bounty which was coming from a majestic creature designed perfectly by God?

For some reason, I was reminded of the following poetry which is a part of a bigger poem. These particular lines somehow resonated deeply with me as I heard it from some speech of some pious scholar...However, for some reason the connection between the fact of honey and a bee's journey seemed to strike a chord in my heart as if the bee is not visible to speak for itself but is trying to tell the human to be grateful and mindful....

...Truly, we as humans are so caught up that we have forgotten to give thanks or express gratitude...

Here is the poetry:

"वो  जो  गीत  तुम  ने  सुना  नहीं 

 मेरी  उम्र  भर  का  रियाज़ था

 मेरे दर्द  की  थी दास्ताँ

 जिसे  तुम  हंसी  में  उड़ा  गए "

-Amjad Islam Amjad

I, for one do consume a tiny teaspoon of honey in morning and felt in awe and wonder after knowing I was consuming someone's else's such immense lifelong journey, without paying attention.

I now try to remember the bee and its struggles and thus remember the One who created it for his makhlooq (creation).

Let us be grateful for the tiny bounties of life...

Let us be grateful for all creatures, big and small....

Let us remember the Al-Shakur.....

Poem published: Suffolk Country Poetry Review 2016

 

Sharing one of my poems that was accepted for publication in the Suffolk County Poetry Review of Long Island, in the year 2016. 

A background on what Yajnas is in Vedas:

Yajna - Vedic Sacrifices in Hinduism

Interestingly, even today, it is being conducted in many households (on special occasions to invoke blessings of God or to call God), usually with a priest and the people sit around the fire and offer the holy items (although the smoke emanating from such yajnas is not for the faint of the eyes, as it can create severe eye irritation).

Poem published in Poets' Almanac 2016

 

Sharing a short poem that was selected for the Poets Almanac in the year 2016. The requirements were to submit a poem of only 5-6 lines; hence this was the poem I came up with. It's inspired by the tiny porcupine.

And here is the little porcupine...

Pins and Needles: The Indian Crested Porcupine

Soulful songs of praise- collection of Naats/Nasheeds

 Sharing list of some of very beautiful Islamic Naat/ nasheeds by various artists. I had removed this post earlier, as I do not want to give certain impressions based on what religions I follow (which is Hinduism) or plan to change if at all (unlikely). However, as for me, music and praise of God (no matter what religion or country or state) is what ultimately is the goal, I decided to repost the collection of songs which I have listened to for so many years and have in fact, given me peace.

All of these songs are quite peaceful and soft to the heart... 

 (P.S. There are lots more which are very close to my heart, but due to some personal reasons/ privacy, I am sharing only few of them here)

Nasheeds:

Last Breath - Ahmed Bukhatir - أحمد بوخاطر - النفس الأخير - Arabic Music Video

Omar Esa - Aye Khuda (Oh Lord) - Vocals Only Nasheed

Fiyya Hubbun, Fiyya Wajdun | In Love In Ecstasy #nasheed | English Translation

The Beauty of Existence - Heart Touching Nasheed

Siedd - Allah Humma (Official Nasheed Video) | Vocals Only

 ALLAH KA GHAR | Nabeel Shaukat Ali feat. Tahseen Sakina | Ramzan Kalaam 2025

Sami Yusuf - Al Faqir | الفقير (Official Lyric Video) #worldmusic #worldmusictraditions

Sami Yusuf - The 99 Names : English & French Lyrics

Sami Yusuf – Glorification (Official Music Video) #worldmusic

(in this song, at 2:42 the Arabic words are sublime)

Wohi Khuda Hai - Abdullah Qureshi 

Naats:

Nabeel Khan - Maula Ya Salli Wa Sallim ( Official Video ) Ramadan 2023 | Naat

(13) Hasbi Rabbi - Nabeel Khan | Official Video | Ramadan Special Naat 2024 - YouTube

(the rabab music at the beginning is very sweet)

Muhammad Nabina - Nabeel Khan | Official Video | Ramadan Special Naat 2024

Maher Zain - Rahmatun Lil’Alameen (Official Music Video) ماهر زين - رحمةٌ للعالمين

Ahmad Hussain | Ya Muhammad Nur e Mujasam |Tribute to Amjad Sabri

Ahmad Hussain | Ya Taiba | Official Arabic/Urdu Nasheed Video

YA NABI SALAM ALAYKA | Danish F Dar | Dawar Farooq | BEST NAAT | Ramzan Special Naat | 4k NAAT |2024

LA ILAHA ILLALLAH | Ramzan Special Zikr | Danish F Dar | Dawar Farooq | BEST NAAT | Best hamd | 2024

 

I hope these songs above also give peace to the receptive heart(s).

Poem published - Walt Whitman Bicentennial Anthology- 2019

Sharing one of my poems that was selected for publication in the "Poets to Come" Walt Whitman Bicentennial Anthology in the year 2019, at Long Island. This particular poem was inspired by (and also dedicated) to a small unassuming fish that is in reality a true artist, almost sculpting its art at the very bottom of the ocean floor.  The creature is a puffer fish and there are many insightful links and videos on how it achieves its marvelous creation, but that is ephemeral, only to be washed off by ocean currents.

I was in awe and deep admiration of this tiny creature when I read about it and that inspired me to pen down. The info on what it actually does are available here:

A Pufferfish's Masterpiece | Big Pacific: Mysterious | PBS LearningMedia

Meet the Fish That Builds Works of Love on the Seafloor

In my poem, I have mentioned of Arjuna (the great warrior of Hindu epic Mahabharata), particularly as he was known for the complex Chakravyuh formation (a tactic used in battles), which for some reason to me resembled the structure the puffer fish made at least, in part. Plus, I mentioned of the fish-eye as there is a famous incident that Arjuna's prowess and focus of archery was so unparalleled that he could shoot at the eye of the moving fish while only looking at its reflection in water, which is a feat impossible to do by ordinary souls....(The Eye of the Fish: Customer Obsession in the Kurukshetra of Entrepreneurship | by Sashank Dara | Medium)

A published poem: Bards Annual Poetry 2019

 

I am sharing a poem (titled "The Trap of Eyelashes") that was published in the Bard's Annual Poetry Book Collection in the year 2019. This particular poem is a satire that is typically different from the themes I typically write on.  A very interesting aspect is that I had never actually seen the specific plant (Venus flytrap) in real life, as mostly I remember reading about it in my school days in biology or drawing the plant diagrams. However, one fine day before writing the poem, I did stumble upon that plant as it was for sale in one of the food sections of a department store in Stony Brook. I have to admit it was one of the most blissful moments of my life, as at first, I could not believe it was a real plant, but it indeed was (and was not that big as I used to think; it was small but must have the ability to capture its preys or insects (although I never put that to test :)).

Anyhow, here is the poem. The sarcasm in the poem is at the fakeness of the modern society (and also perhaps the cosmetic companies that do manufacture products (which then land up with the consumer) that have the ability to extend the eyelashes using specific compounds).

Bards Annual 2019 by Bards Initiative | Goodreads

Here is the photo of the plant:

P.S.I understand that eyes and the eyelashes are a gem in poetries and shayaris and are extolled, however this is the only poem where I made an exception but that was subject to the context....

Two of my published poems @ Bards Annual Poetry 2015

I thought of sharing two of my poems that were already published in the Bards Annual Poetry (poetry organization in Long Island, NY) in the year 2015.  (Bards Annual 2015: The Annual Publication of The Bards Initiative by Bards Initiative | Goodreads)

The reason being that interestingly, both of them have the element of Fire in them, which seems apt given the turn of cold winter weather (which I for one dislike) going on. 

One of them is titled "The Phoenix of Longing" and the second one is titled "Fireball":

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1. In this particular poem without giving away much (which a poet should usually avoid as a poem should be subject to interpretations by the reader), I would say that the central theme is actually that of Sufism/ mysticism, and so it's actually longing of the spiritual love/ Beloved, and because the soul can never be destroyed by fire (similar to the Vedic shlok of Bhagwad Gita which says : नैनं छिन्दन्ति शस्त्राणि नैनं दहति पावकः, meaning that soul cannot be cut by weapon or destroyed by fire), it keeps on rebirthing itself or rather its longing and desires keep on taking birth again and again in an endless cycle.....

2.  In this second poem, I would say that this was written out of a deep place inside the soul when the soul feels handicapped (reference to the metaphor of being seated on a wheelchair) and is a spectator to the world (the dunya). The immense longing and pains cause the soul to turn the gaze inward from the cold world (both literally and figuratively) and realize that the true power and warmth lie beneath in the soul which can be made into any form one likes and is the only true Sun.