rafta rafta lafz gunge ho gae — Ahmad Shanas

kaun qatre mein uThaataa hai talaatum
aur antar-aatmaa tak sinchtaa hai

chaand mein darvesh hai jugnu mein jogi
kaun hai vo aur kis ko khojtaa hai

saat qulzum hain mire siine mein
ek qatre se ubhaaraa thaa mujhe

ek bachcha zehn se paisa kamaane ki machine
dusraa kamzor thaa so yarghamaali ho gayaa

lafzon ki dastaras mein mukammal nahin huun main
likkhi hui kitaab ke baahar bhi sun mujhe

baahar insaanon se nafrat hai lekin
ghar mein Dheron bachche paidaa karte hain

main baDaa ho gayaa huun magar bachpanaa
mere dil se kabhi bhi gayaa hi nahin

jaa paDe chup ho ke jab shahr-e-khamoshaan mein 'nazir'
ye ghazal ye rekhta ye sher-khvaani phir kahaan

chup chup makaan raaste gum-sum niDhaal vaqt
is shahr ke liye koi divaanaa chaahiye

har ek baat ko chup-chaap kyuun sunaa jaae
kabhi to hausla kar ke nahin kahaa jaae

buDhi maan kaa shaayad lauT aayaa bachpan
guDiyon kaa ambaar lagaa kar baiTh gai

be-hisi par miri vo khush thaa ki patthar hi to hai
main bhi chup thaa ki chalo siine mein khanjar hi to hai