solitude

This collection of 14 texts in verse is the second volume of poems on the self. 11 of these poems were written in 2018, while 2 – a dream poem and एहसास – were written in 2017. थूक was written in 2000 from within a very vicious context, but it was recreated in July 2021.

These poems traverse the themes of individuality, loneliness, abandonment and judgment while each carrying the emotion of solitude within.

In terms of language, the collection follows my general trend while addressing the self: predominantly English poems – 9 as against the 5 in Hindustani.

04.06.21

थूक

किसका उगला चाटा
जो मुझ पर थूकेगा
नफ़रत के तेरे ज़ुबां भी नहीं
किस क़दर थूकेगा

ग़र थूकना ही है
तो नज़र ऊँची कर
के लहराती है परछाईं
मेरी आसमाँ पर

लरज़ती आग बुझे
जिस्म के घाव भरे
जो सहमे से दूर हैं खड़े
वही थूक से डरें

ऐसा कभी कुछ न खा
जो चबा-चबा न निगले बने
थूकना है तो थूकदे ग़ुस्सा
इससे पहले के ये काँटा बने ज़हर बने

२०००, ०२.०६.२१

a dream poem

missed another train in
a long time last night
I’d figured out a way of
beating it to the next station
but no one else seemed interested
none seemed to care
it occurred to me that I
should write down my dreams
not to know the meaning
but to see if there’s a poem behind

26.02.17