It all belongs to thee

This is my land, where I was born,
Richness of wheat, rice and corn.
This is my land where I toddled around,
No worries, no limits to me bound.
This is my land where I played hide-and-seek,
A few missing teeth and a dimpled cheek.
This is the spot I was kissed my first.
Some new feelings, then felt not nursed.
This is the land I toiled with my father,
Being a lawyer, I preferred rather.
Drenching in the sun made no sense,
And money after all covered every expense.

I chose the green notes over the greener paddy,
Being modern I thought was good and faddy.
A new home made far away from ‘home’,
In a city that looks like a posh glass dome.
A place that paid so much in dollars,
This “Independence” really pulled up my collars.
Elated was I to know I was my boss,
This life seemed full and red like tomato sauce.

It was all happening like a dream come true,
Until I was ushered to see things, without a clue.
All that was “real” seemed then, like nonsense,
I wondered what made these houses have a fence.
Was it only me alone and isolated?
Probably something was ill-fated!
The fake brilliance this city had once shown,
I could see through as the veil had blown.

It was too late to go back I guess,
This is an excuse, nevertheless.
Its’ easier after all to “suffer” and stay,
But challenging to walk out and go astray.
And yet if I go that way, once forgotten,
My land where the water never went rotten.
I see that I have to prove my identity,
As if to show I’m sane, a harmless kitty.
This is the place where I now want to be
And yet couldn’t, without paying the fee.

In spite of the affair I had with the land for years,
Why would I have my eyes not welled with tears.
The land, the water, the air was all free,
Until you decided it belonged to ‘thee’.

The worse is that I played your game with open eyes,
So how would I blame you for my own vice!

As within so without...

Nothing stands alone,
Nothing can just be.
It's all a part of One,
Open your eyes and see.

Its the same everywhere,
And yet there is doubt.
They said it long ago,
As within so without.

The innocent cat closes her eyes,
And stealthily licks the milk.
She knows she's watched all along,
Yet she refuses to belong to the ilk.

The human is no different, yes!
Evading and putting on a pout.
He knows they said it long ago,
As within so without.

Someday the sleep will come to an end,
And he would have to rise on his feet.
But the reality would be too strong then,
A smack he may not be able to beat.

But does it mean it ends right there?
As if the emptiness was a bout.
It will still resonate again and again,
As within so without...
As within so without...

Kya likhun?

Baithe hain likhne kuch lavz aise,
Ye dil ko mile kahin kuch sukuun jaise.
Zehen mein kuch baat tho aaye,
Padhne wale ko maza bhi laaye.

Baat hai bas itni si hi,
Ki likhne ki koshish humne bhi ki.
Saath diya na Urdu ne na Hindi ne,
Isthemal kar liya inhe angrezi mein.

"Aage bhi tho likh", kahe kalam
"Kuch acha pyara tez aur naram,
Ki padhne wale ko samajh bhi aaye,
Aur sunne wala na hosh gavaye".

Likhun bhi tho kya ye bata,
Har koi kuch naya hain chahta.
Pedh patta badal aur neer,
Kar gaye jhoota Galib aur Kabir.

Pyaar, mohabbat ki ummeed na rakh,
Likh likh ke sab gaye hain thak.
Kismath pe na likh paya main kabhi,
Aur uparwale ne uspne tho kitabein hain chapi.

Rahi bas ek cheez jis pe main likh paaun,
Aur yun hi din raat likhta chala jaun,
Woh soch ke jo uthaya kalam abhi,
Woh baat pe jo abhi bho zehen mein hain hi nahin.

---Arpita
19th April 2009

You have a choice!

I could be the sun,
And blaze for everyone.
I could be the moon,
And be romantic for someone.
I can be the star,
And inspire anyone.
Or I could be the sky,
Which holds all these together as one.

I could fly away where ever I could,
I could sit in the water like a buffalo would,
I could be a butterfly to live for a day or two,
Or hide like a mouse so none have a clue.

I could pretend to be a singer,
A star in parties to long linger.
I could be a beautiful Gucci-clad actress,
Smile for some and dance to impress.
I could be a witty, nasty little leader,
Cheating people but a smart mind reader.
Or just be me, like the way I am now,
With nothing to lose like a sleepy cow.

"You have choice!", God said to me,
Showed me many doors but gave no key,
"You could be anything and that too for free.
Just imagine how beautiful this life could be".

---Arpita

20th March 2009