agli hijrat ka dukh

basti par shab-khun pada tha
raat ko dariya khub chadha tha
jab main nikla
ghar se tanha


apne dukh ka bojh uthae
bughcha bandhe
ek roti
chaqmaq ka patthar


ek mashkiza
tuta khanjar
nazuk sarkandon ki naw
lahron lahron mujh ko le kar


sat samundar par gai thi
bah nikla tha
waqt ka dhaara
ek naya ghar


sath hamara
yaadon ka pushtara
jaane kitne mausam guzre
phir ek shab ko main ne dekha


ek dum-dar sitara
subh hui to
gunj raha tha
sadhu ka iktara


jadu-nagri ujad chuki thi
zard pada jata tha laghar
ujda bosida sayyara
sunta hun ab


pas hi jaise
kuch ka bajta hai naqqara
udne ko tayyar hai shayad
aluminium ka rocket


pital ka tayyara
main apni tanhai le kar
bughcha bandhe
ek roti


chaqmaq ka patthar
ek mashkiza
tuta khanjar
yaadon ka pushtara


agli manzil dur kahin hai
kale patthar ka fawwara
agli hijrat
'alam-e-baala mein agla sayyara


waqt kinara