nahin ye suraj ke shahr ka aadmi nahin hai
ki ye to marne ke baad footpath par pada hai

ye lash hum sab ki tarah suraj ke sath gardish mein kyun nahin hai?
padho to is diary mein kya hai?

nuche-khuche ek waraq pe kuchh yun likha hua tha
main apni duniya-e-fikr-o-fan taj ke aaj ban-bas mein pada hun

zaruraton mein ghira hua hun
yahan to do aur do ka hasil hamesha hi chaar hath aaya

ki panch na-mumkinat mein hai
azim fankar ka qalam ho ki kar-khane

kisi ko takhliq-e-husn ki aarzu nahin hai
muqaddas aag un ke dil ki yun pet ke jahannam mein jal rahi hai

ki zindagi ki jo quwwaten hain wo khud ko zinda hi rakhne mein sarf ho rahi hain
machine ki tarah zehn bhi kaam kar rahe hain

ragon mein jite lahu ke badle raqiq loha bhara hua hai
machine ki tarah panw chalte hain

aadmi ka jalal gardish mein sar-nigun hai
irada wa ikhtiyar ek iztirab-e-sangin hai jis se bach kar

koi nahin do ghadi kisi se jo be-gharaz ruk ke baat kar le
(kise khabar, aadmi ke do mithe bol ko main taras gaya hun)

yahan ye tahrir aansuon se miti hui thi aur is se aage
ye shahr suraj ka shahr hai is ke roz-o-shab ka pata nahin hai

na aaj tak waqt aur tarikh ka mujhe ilm ho saka hai
ki mere ehsas mein koi aaj hai na kal

aur ye raat hai ya siyah suraj?
ghurub ho kar bhi aasman o zamin se paiham guzar raha hai

bas is jahan mein siyah o raushan hamesha din hai
hamesha suraj hi apne sar par khada hua hai

ye kaenat ek shikasta gadi hai ek pahiye pe chal rahi hai
zamin ka chand kya khabar kis andhere patal mein gira ho

har ek shai bhagti hui ek dusre ki talash mein gum
bas ek tasadum

har ek shakhs ek daudti lash hai ki ek dusre se wahshat-zada, gurezan
sab apna suraj se munh chhupae talash mein waqt ki hirasan

kisi ko itni bhi sham milti nahin ki thoda udas ho len
yahan pe jumle ajib se the lahu ke dhabbon se mit gae the