yun to lamhon ke is tasalsul mein
ab se pahle bhi umr kaTti thi
mom-batti ki raushni mein nazar
hafize ke waraq ulaTti thi
ret ke sogwar Tilon par
chandni raat bhar bhaTakti thi
aaj lekin thake hue dil par
jism ka tar tar bhaari hai
sham ki dam-ba-KHud hawaon par
subh ka intizar bhaari hai
maqbaron se uThi hui aandhi
Tahniyon se ulajh ke chalti hai
KHushk palkon pe aansuon ki umid
pai-ba-pai karwaTen badalti hai
ek ek aks sans leta hai
ek ek yaad aankh malti hai
jaise sahra mein sar jhukae hue
hajiyon ki qatar chalti hai
zard chingariyon ke daman mein
yun sulagta hai sard aatish-dan
jaise bachchon ki bhuk ke aage
ek nadar bap ka iman
dam-ba-KHud KHamushi mein dhire se
zard patte qadam uThate hain
yaad ke karwan andhere mein
KHwab ki tarah sarsaraate hain
khiDkiyon ke Dare hue chehre
apni aahaT se kanp jate hain
dil ki qurban gah ke aage
ek TuTa hua diya bhi nahin
kisi pipal ke narm sae mein
koi patthar ka dewta bhi nahin
ruh ke kasa-e-gadai ko
chaar TukDon ka aasra bhi nahin
lambi chauDi saDak ke daman par
qumqume sahme sahme jalte hain
jaise aksar baDe gharanon mein
faqa-kash rishta-dar palte hain
sochta hun ki is dayar se dur
ek aisa bhi des hai jis ki
raat taron mein saj ke aaegi
subh hogi to ghar ke goshon mein
teri masum muskurahaT ki
narm si dhup phail jaegi
Nazm
Ek sham
Mustafa Zaidi