tha ek saya sa pichhe pichhe jo mud ke dekha to kuchh nahin tha
ab apni surat ko dekhta hun kabhi jo sad-paikar-afrin tha

wo phir bhi jaan se aziz-tar tha tabiaten go juda juda thin
agarche ham-zad bhi nahin tha wo mera ham-shakl bhi nahin tha

main ruk sakunga thahar sakunga thakan safar ki mita sakunga
kahin to koi shajar milega tamam raste yahi yaqin tha

kai chatanen gudaz jismon mein apni garmi se dhal gai thin
buton ke qisse mein tesha-karon ka tazkira bhi kahin kahin tha

na jaane kya dhund darmiyan thi ki kohkan ki nazar na pahunchi
jahan se phuta tha chashma-e-mah-shab ka patthar bhi to wahin tha

main apni aawaz ke taaqub mein mawara-e-nazar bhi pahuncha
magar palat kar na us ne puchha ki main khala ke bahut qarin tha

wahi manazir lute lute se wahi shikasta makan 'akhtar'
main roz-marra ke raste se jo ghar mein pahuncha bahut hazin tha