karachi kisi dew-qad kekde ki tarah
samundar ke sahil pe panw pasare pada hai

nasen us ki faulad-o-ahan
badan ret cement patthar

basen texiyan karen rickshaw ragon mein lahu ki bajae rawan
jism par ja-ba-ja dagh daldal-numa

jahan ankabut apne taron se bunte hain bankon ke jal
ki un mein shumal aur mashriq se aae hue

ishtiha aur khwabon ke mare magas
phadphadate rahen

mustaqil aalam-e-jaan-kani mein rahen
sham hote hi is ki nam-alud aur khurduri khaal se

is ke be-dhang aaza se
ishwa-faroshon ke pairahanon ki tarah

raushni phutti hai
ye wo shahr-e-khud-mutmain hai

jo apne hi dil ki shaqawat pe shaida raha
main chahat ke phulon bhare jangalon se jab aaya

to is shahr ki pith
majlis ki diwar ki tarah meri taraf thi

main shiddat ki tanhai mein
aashna harf ka aarzu-mand

paiham taghaful se ranjida be-dil
yahan ke rusum aur aadab se be-khabar

nakhunon se zamin khod kar
aansuon ki nami se use sinch kar

harf kaliyon ki ummid mein
dard bolta raha

kai bar main ne samundar ki bhigi hawaon se puchha
ki ai khush-nafas rahrawo

tum is tarah begana-wash kyun guzarti ho
pal bhar ruko

koi taskin ka paigham do
aur apna ye amrit sa hath

dukhe dil pe rakh do
pa wo shahr ki sans mein

enginon ke dhuen ki kasafat se afsurda
aankhen churae guzarti rahin

kai bar yun bhi hua hai
ki main aur ye shahr ek mushtarak dukh ki zanjir mein bandh gae

aur mujhe ye guman sa hua
ki ab ajnabiyyat ki diwar girne ko hai

abhi us ki namnak aankhen kahengi ki hum ek hain
lamha-e-dard ka sath sab se bada sath hai

magar main ne dekha ki is waqt bhi
us ki pathrai aankhon mein

aks-e-shanasai napaid tha
aur ab jab main is shahr se ja raha hun

to is ki daranti si banhon ke dandane
mere rag-o-pai mein utre hue hain