pompiye

pompiye dafn tha sadiyon se jahan
ek tahzib thi poshida wahan
shahr khoda to tawarikh ke tukde nikle
dheron pathrae hue waqt ke safhon ko ulat kar dekha


ek bhuli hui tahzib ke purze se bichhe the har-su
munjamid lawe mein akde hue insanon ke guchchhe the wahan
aag aur lawe se ghabra ke jo lipte hon ge
wahi matke


wahi handi
wahi tute piyale
hont tute hue
latki hui mitti ki zabanen har-su


bhuk us waqt bhi thi
pyas bhi thi
pet bhi tha
hukmaranon ke mahal


un ki fasilen
sikke
raij-ul-waqt jo hathiyar the aur un ke daste
bediyan pattharon ki


aahani
pairon ke kade
aur ghulamon ko jahan bandh ke rakhte the
wo pinjre bhi bahut se nikle


ek tahzib yahan dafn hai aur us ke qarib
ek tahzib rawan hai

jo mere waqt ki hai


hukmaran bhi hain
mahal bhi hain
faslen bhi hain
jel-khane bhi hain aur gas ke chamber bhi hain


hiroshima pe kitaben bhi saja rakkhi hain
bediyan aahani hathkadiyan bhi steel ki hain
aur ghulamon ko bhi aazadi hai
bandha nahin jaata


meri tahzib ne ab kitni taraqqi ki hai