raddi akhbar ki tarah
mujhe bech diya gaya
ek kabadi ke hathon
taraazuon mein tol kar
us ne meri qimat aank di
khub-surat jild
jis par mera unwan likha tha
us ne noch phenki
wazn badhane wala gatte ka tukda
use qubul nahin tha
main be-nam ho gai
mere auraq phadphada uthe
kasmasa uthe
tab ek bhaari bat
dhar diya gaya mujh par
aur main
nai taza hawa se
mahrum ho gai
raddi ke gatthar ke sath wo kabadi
mujhe apne ghar le gaya
wahan mera ek ek waraq phada gaya
lifafe banae gae
haldi dhaniya aur mirch
rakhne ke liye
mahir ungliyan lifafe bana rahi thin
mere safhon par likhi ibaraten
tut-phut kar samne aa rahi thin
kya ghazab hai nahin insan ko insan ki qadr
har farishte ko ye hasrat hai ki insan hota
lai hayat aae qaza le chali chale
apni khushi na aae na apni khushi chale
qaid-o-hayat-o-band-e-gham asl mein donon ek hain
maut se pahle aadmi gham se najat pae kyun
aakhiri waraq ko
ek bachche ne utha liya
khel khel mein hawai jahaz bana kar
aasman mein uda diya
is par likha tha
main kahan rukta hun arsh-o-farsh ki aawaz se
mujh ko jaana hai bahut uncha had-e-parwaz se