tu ne dekhaa nahin ik shakhs ke jaane se 'salim' — Saleem Kausar

qurbatein hote hue bhi faaslon mein qaid hain
kitni aazaadi se ham apni hadon mein qaid hain

intizaar aur dastakon ke darmiyaan kaTti hai umr
itni aasaani se to baab-e-hunar khultaa nahin

main kisi ke dast-e-talab mein huun to kisi ke harf-e-duaa mein huun
main nasib huun kisi aur kaa mujhe maangtaa koi aur hai

vaqt ruk ruk ke jinhein dekhtaa rahtaa hai 'salim'
ye kabhi vaqt ki raftaar huaa karte the

saae gali mein jaagte rahte hain raat bhar
tanhaaiyon ki oT se jhaankaa na kar mujhe

aaina khud bhi sanvartaa thaa hamaari khaatir
ham tire vaaste tayyaar huaa karte the

kyon tasavvur mein ji rahaa huun main
jab haqiqat mein mar hi jaanaa hai

shaahraahein dafatan shoale ugalne lag gaiin
ghar ki jaanib chal paDaa hai shahr gheraa kar tamaam

ijz-o-niyaaz apnaa apni taraf hai saaraa
is musht-e-khaak ko ham masjud jaante hain

na jaane us ne khule aasmaan mein kyaa dekhaa
parinda phir se jahaan-e-qafas mein lauT aayaa

hamin ne hashr uThaa rakkhaa hai bichhaDne par
vo jaan-e-jaan to pareshaan bhi ziyaada nahin

is se pahle ki ye aazaar gavaara kar lein
aa miri jaan mohabbat se kinaara kar lein