in search of a lost god

when men cannot distinguish what is right from wrong,
when might alone is the purpose of them all,
when the wailings of a mother do not move us anymore,
when the children cry and the future seems unsecure,
when the people are burnt and women are raped,
do we wonder if god created us in his mould,
dont you wonder if self-annihilators is what we are ?
to eat the flesh of our brethren, for that we were born,
when the world seems unjust, and the nights too long-
in the hope of a day dawn is how we pass our time,
where is the god that created us all ?

hope

does the sun shine less brightly,
if you knew how it burned
would the rains seem unremarkable,
if you knew how the clouds were formed
does god become pointless
if you knew what produced the heavens

do you question people's motives
when they did something for you
do they seem selfish and cunning
when they turn out to be no different
than other multitudes of men

why do we lose perspective
and cant see what the other sees
why do we enjoy being blind
when eyes can be opened sometimes

why cant we all love each other
when we all agree its the best way
why does solution seem so impossible
when all we have to do is try

why do we hate the poor
when wealth is in our hands
why do we kill the other man
when our knife becomes sharp

did you feel hated and alienated
do not grieve my friend
look up, times will pass
look up a new day dawns

Ji Chahe To

This is one of my favorite ghazals.

Ji chahe to sheesha ban ja, ji chahe paimana ban ja
Sheesha paimana kya banna, mai ban ja maikhana ban ja

Mai ban kar, maikhana ban kar, masti ka afsana ban ja
Masti ka afsana bankar hasti se begaana ban ja

Hasti se begaana hona masti ka afsana banna
Is hone se, is banne se, achha hai deewana ban ja

Deewana ban jane se bhi deewana hona achha hai
deewana hone se achha khak-e-dar-e-janana(beloved) ban ja

Khak-e-dar-e-janana kya hai ahle dil ki aankh ka surma
Shamma ke dil ki thandak ban ja, noor-e-dil-e-parwana ban ja

Seekh Zaheen ke dil se jalna kahe ko har shamma pe jalna
Apni aag mein khud jal jaye tu aisa parwana ban ja

loss of perfection

illusions have filled your dreams
this break from reality, fueling you
turn away from it, look inside your heart
for that true realisation

what have you tried to break away from
your chains, this life dragged you
along with itself, chasing dreams
which shall crumble before your eyes

what seeks this lonely life ?
seeking pleasures, ways to keep
itself numb, dragging itself
this one pleasure, how long will it sustain ?

immerse yourself in it,
love lost, dreams lost, his life living hell
what chases this dead man ?
head emptied and numbed by its demanding

can you hear her longing voice ?
calling yourself in, embracing you
will you succumb like the men of old ?
throwing away their life for those dreams

this feeling overwhelmed you too long
but did you have any choice ever?
do men write their own destiny ?
throwing themselves, imagining, giving up
and losing themselves in their fantasies

chasing that one true perfect imprint
their minds the sand beach
images forming in sand, showing themselves
hiding, disappearing, then showing again
this game went on forever

your face too, my perfect being
i saw in those mortal sand beaches
giving all my desires, giving up all i had
i had chased you thus far

and now when i am about to get you
you are within my reach
just one more step and i have you
i want to turn away, run away

leave me alone, i am afraid,
i never deserved you, my arrogance,
this, my sense of reality was flawed
leave me, i want no more, nothing!

this fear that i have,
discovering your imperfections
views from far always enchant
giving up these perfect ideas
would be too painful, let me go

thus spake the great master

Therefore, the seeker after the truth is not one who studies the writings of the ancients and, following his natural disposition, puts his trust in them, but rather the one who suspects his faith in them and questions what he gathers from them, the one who submits to argument and demonstration, and not to the sayings of a human being whose nature is fraught with all kinds of imperfection and deficiency. Thus the duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists, if learning the truth is his goal, is to make himself an enemy of all that he reads, and, applying his mind to the core and margins of its content, attack it from every side. He should also suspect himself as he performs his critical examination of it, so that he may avoid falling into either prejudice or leniency.

- Alhazen in Doubts Concerning Ptolemy

sweet love!
dont let me wake up
from my dream,
keep singing this melody
of love and tranquillity

for so long
i have roved along,
till you caught me,
enthralled me,
hold me slave still

love makes things light
makes life seem
like a cool breeze
ah ! easy life,
love makes it seem

carefree and hopeful
heart fills with desires
wishes fullfilled,
fears quelled,
respite from hardships of life

love turns men strange
makes them stranger
look at me ! lost in love
of a face most sublime
whose beauty shall ever shine

o saqi! fill my glass
let not this feeling fade
this state which men attain
treading treacherous terrain
paths tough and uncertain

... i hear a disturbing noise
who is it knocking
at a drunken man's door
alas! will they ever understand
no need to disturb me again

tell the wise men to depart,
no more of their counsel
no more heavenly guidance
this heart immersed in love
knows what it ought to find

tell them-
men roamed for too long,
truth is lost not in the ways
it lies deep underneath,
in the depths of the wandering heart

two demons

so the story goes...
a soulless savage demon was born... for centuries he roamed this earth unaware of his truth, till he saw what he was ...
he came across another demon, who summoned his hidden instincts, instincts long lost, covered up and wrapped under the deceptive camouflage of human nature...
for years he could not reconcile to his truth, but nature as it is, cruel and uncaring, slowly with time made him accept his true character. demons as they were, fought together and annihilated their demonic selves... but that was a long long time ago.
i wonder, what story would we have heard were he not confronted with the other demon?