jab koi leta hai mere samne nam-e-ghazal
yaad aata hai mujhe ek nazuk-andam-e-ghazal

us harim-e-naz us khalwat-sara-e-raaz mein
barha jazbaat ne bandha hai ehram-e-ghazal [...]

jo dikh raha usi ke andar jo an-dikha hai wo shairi hai
jo kah saka tha wo kah chuka hun jo rah gaya hai wo shairi hai

ye shahr sara to raushni mein khila pada hai so kya likhun main
wo dur jangal ki jhonpadi mein jo ek diya hai wo shairi hai [...]

pani le sakte hain dariya se magar kuze mein hum
bahte dariya ki rawani band kar sakte nahin
sher yun kahne ko kah len lekin 'akhtar' sach ye hai
dil ke mahsusat ko lafzon mein bhar sakte nahin

khun-bhare jam undelta hun main
tis aur dard jhelta hun main
tum samajhte ho sher kahta hun
apne zakhmon se khelta hun main

din guzarta hai un ki yaadon mein
raushan ashkon se raat karta hun
main to kahta nahin hun sher kabhi
dil ke zakhmon se baat karta hun