Surgeon's cap: a boon or curse!
जब भी मैं किसी को operate करता हूं;
मेरा दिल मेरी ऊंगलिओ में रहता है.

तूझे कुछ भी ना हो 'इसके लिए;
ना जाने क्या क्या सहता है.

तेरी सेहत हमेशा खुशगवार हो इस करके;
तू इसकी दुआ मे शामिल रहता है.

मैं जर्द पत्तों पर शबनम सजा कर लाया हूँ;
और तू मुझसे पैसों का हिसाब लेता है.

कभी कभी रातों को भी सोचा है तेरे बारे;
दुआ का हाथ है पर खुदा के आगे मजबूर रहता है.

मुझसे तू अपनी उम्र से ज्यादा उम्मीद मत रख;
मै खुदा नही 'ये folded hands से कहता है.

गुरुर सब पर खूब सजता है;
पर सब से कह दो;
सिकन्दर भी गया और अकबर भी:
कौन है जो इस जहाँ मे रहता है.

जब भी भटकता हूँ अपनी राहों से;
खुदा मेरे दिल में उतरता है.

चमकने वाली है' तहरीर तेरी किस्मत की;
ये last नुस्खा है खुदा का;
जो रहता है.

कभी सहना भी सीख ले' इस दिल की खातिर;
इसका दर्द भी कभी कभी;
दवा का काम करता है.

नाखून तेरे कुतर भी दूं;
क्या फिर ना बढ जाएंगे;
भरते जख्मो को;
क्यूँ अपने नाखूनों से;
कुतरता है.

On Sanguine Wings...

A new morning dawns so bright,

Setting the leaves on fire with a golden light,

Rays of the golden globe cutting through the dark,

And filling the heart with spunk and spark.....

What seemed so hopeless, dark and dreary 

In the reign of the night, so black and gloomy

Is now lightened, buoyant and rosy,

Glittering, gleaming with vivacious energy......

For night must give way to light,

As sadness to incandescent delight,

Gloomy winters to spunky spring,

Despair to hope on sanguine wings.....

हर सुबह यूं ही आती रहे;
जिन्दगी का पैगाम लाती रहे;
गम की शामे आती जाती रहे;
जिन्दगी यू ही मुस्कराती रहे.

फूल यू ही खिलते रहे;
यार दोस्त रोज मिलते रहे;
जख्म जो मिले वो सिलते रहे;
मौके खुशी के निकलते रहे.

खुशियाँ ही खुशियां राहो में हो;
जिन्दगी तू आज मेरी बाहों मे हो;
मंजिल मेरी निगाहों में हो;
मेरी किस्मत किसी की दुआओं मे हो.

ये अलग बात है कि किस्मत ने तुझसे मिलाया नही;
पर ये नही कि तुझे चाहा नही;
जो तूने चाहा तुझे मिल गया;
जो मैने चाहा वो पाया नही.

तेरी याद धूप बनकर दिल मे उतरती रहे;
चांदनी की तरह बिखरती रहे;
अब तेरी याद ही काफी है;
जिन्दगी यूं ही गुजरती रहे.

Circle of Undying Life

              " The Circle of Life"

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust ,

Death's finality , always so just.

Life's delicate , brittle and fragile,

Like the dainty autumn clouds in the sky.

Why do our loved ones just drift away,

Into a land so faraway?

When nothings left but memories through misty eyes,

And nothing's tangible ,like stars in the smoky skies.

Why must a lifetime of joy and sorrow,

Of seriousness and frivolities so hollow,

Of shared times and memories come to naught,

When death rings it's bell so taut.

As I grieve and I lament,

At life which seems so meaningless,

I chance upon this meadow delightful,

With delicate flowers so beautiful.

These tiny, frail flowers dotting the green expanse,

Where did they spring up from into a featureless land?

When did they come up to dance this dance of life?

To flutter and to flirt , to joyously please the eyes.

This was a canvas totally unpainted,

Yet brilliant reds now dazzled and fragrant perfumes wafted.

These tenuous beings proclaimed their presence loudly,

Blowing in the breeze, singing their stories loudly.

And then ,another truth I realise,

That there's an evergreen circle of life.

Ever flowing , unceasing, interminable,

Of life and hope, energy and positivity immortal!

And that's where undying life scores over death,

And that's where undying life scores over death!!!!!

           Poem.      :Shelly Singh

           Pic credits: Sanjay Dhawan

Soar, Soar Away

I gave you wings, taught you how to fly,

And now you're ready to soar in the sky.

Glide effortlessly, oh child of mine,

And find your place and your own tribe....

Where did those years just melt away?

It seems just like yesterday,

When you took that first faltering step,

I laughed while I cried, my heart joyously leapt.....

Your first day at school, your tiny hand in mine,

I left you at the gate and then I tearfully smiled,

And when you cried those briny tears,

It wrenched my heart and I hid my fears.....

When did you grow up , oh son of mine?

From a helpless bonny infant to a teen so fine

I never got a chance to count those sunny days and sleepless nights,

Those tears, those joys, those soothing, gentle lullabies.......

And now you're ready to fly and soar,

Into a new world that you'll explore.

My strapping boy, I wish you the very best,

Happiness, peace, progress and success......

But as that lined nest you leave,

My weary heart and soul do grieve,

For all those beautiful times we spent,

As a family of bonded togetherness.....

As you fly into the world so new,

Remember the tree from which you flew,

Stay grounded, rooted ,little one,

As you find your lofty place under the Sun......

As you find your lofty place under the Sun.......

     Poem: Shelly Singh

     Pic.    : Sanjay Dhawan

मंथन
सूरज पी गया है या समुद्र निगल गया है;
यहाँ जमीन कहाँ है' दिखाई नही देती.

चारों ओर एक संनाटा है' सकून है
अब किसी की चीख सुनाई नही देती.

ये शायद कुदरत का आखरी नजारा है:
यहाँ से आगे'साथ आंख की बिनाई नही देती.

सूरज तो समुद्र में डूबने को तैयार है;
कयू  ये लहरें बढकर अपनी कलाई नही देती.

ये समुद्र है पानी खारा है इसका,
पयास की गहराई इसकी दिखाई नही देती.

अब मरने का इरादा किसी औऱ दिन,
कौन कहता है मौत जिंदगी को बधाई नही देती.

हर लहर पर तेरा नाम लिख देता हूं;
पर पानी पर लिखाई दिखाई नही देती.

यहाँ से लौटा भी तो किधर जाऊंगा,
जिंदगी अब मुझे सदाएं नही देती.

मुददतें हुईं घर की याद आए,
पर मां बचचों को बददुआएं नही देती.

Moods of mine

I am the sea, clear sparkling and glistening,

I am the sea, untamed, wild and threatening.

I am the sea, gentle , calm and radiant,

I am the sea, dangerous, chaotic and violent.

You sometimes see me warm, warmed by the Sun's glory,

And sometimes I'm so cold, chilly, dark and dreary.

I take on brilliant hues, orange, green and blue,

And sometimes I just appear, dull and colourless too.

Sometimes I'm joyous, flirtingly I caress,

Those beautiful golden sands which turn to molten nothingness.

Yet sometimes like an angry soul, I crush the craggy rocks,

I trample, I trod, I pulverise , I beat and I shock.

What is it that makes me, so different in my nature,

Gentle, calm, sometimes, sometime angry out of character.

It is the sky above, who is my soul's desire,

I show my different moods to him, my love and my ire.

I know we can never meet, never in this lifetime,

I long to touch and hold you dear, make you forever mine.

I jump, I leap, I fret, I weep to get your attention,

And then I wearily do resign, to still myself of emotion.

Far away in the horizon, someday we will meet,

Your spirited air, my liquid fire, our passion and our heat.

We will some day scorch the Earth ,with our love divine,

Till then, my love, you must see ,these varied moods of mine.....

Till then , my love, you must see ,these varied moods of mine......

Poem: Dr. Shelly Singh

Pic:  Dr. Sanjay Dhawan

Wings of fancy

Oh heart of mine, take me away,

To a place that's so faraway,,

Faraway from the race of life, 

Where's there's no weariness or strife.

Take me to a meadow smelling of fresh grass,

Where horses gently canter, and air's clear like glass,

Where cottony, downy clouds, sing 

lilting lullabies,

To ever flowing silvery streams and craggy mountains high.

Take me to a land, a land so faraway,

Where I could rest ,rest my head on a carpet of downy hay,

Where incandescent rays of the sun warm this body of mine,

Where Earth and Sky just rise to meet, somewhere in infinity divine.

Oh, give me that air, that air so fresh,

That soothes my being with every breath,

That fills me with it's aura so calm, 

And treats my weary soul with it's healing balm.

Oh gentle heart of mine, take me away....

Oh gentle heart of mine, take me away

On wings of fancy to a land faraway, 

To winds of freshness in a land faraway....

       Poem : Shelly Singh

       Pic: Sanjay Dhawan

The dusk of hopelessness

The dusk of hopelessness

Look at these lines, 

Deeply etched on this face of mine,

Each tells a story, 

Of joy, hope and glory.

Your load I smilingly and willingly bore, 

With strength and patience galore, 

When beauty was writ large on my face,

I was a symbol of youth and nubile grace.

With every little cry of yours,

Oh little one, I stayed up nightly hours,

Your tiny little hand I held, 

Every little morsel to you ,I fed.

And now my vision's failing,

I'm weak, frail , bent and ailing,

My hair is brittle and silvery white,

And with every ghost I have to fight.

My child, my mind is not so clear,

Memory fades and demons I fear,

Of death that's stalking me so near,

Now I need you most my dear.

Yet, in an old age home I stay, 

With blurred memories of work and play,

You have no time or will to stay, 

To hear my dreary tales of day.

But every wrinkle wants to say, 

A word, a look, a thought astray,

My darling son, youth doesn't stay,

It fleetingly finds it's way,

To a dusky land of hopelessness

To a dusky land of hopelessness....

Pic courtesy: Dr. Sanjay Dhawan 

लकीरों में लिखी कहानी

उम्र एक हकीकत है जो नजर आती है;
जबान कहां ईतना सब बताती है॥

ये झुर्रियां पूरे उम्र की दास्तां सुनाती हैं;
अब सच किसी से नही छुपाती हैं॥

सीने में अब रातें कपकपाती हैं;
चांदनी सी जुलफें इस चेहरे पर कितना सुहाती हैं॥

उम्र की जुलफें कितनी घनेरी हैं;
आंच पर पक कर हो गई सुनहरी हैं॥
आज ये मेरी तो कल तेरी हैं;
ये उम्र ना तेरी ना मेरी चचेरी है॥

जरद सा शाल ओढे:
आज जिन्दगी मौत की दहलीज पर है;
ए नासमझ तुझे जो इतना नाज है;
वो किस चीज पर है॥

आया ही नही हमको घीरे से गुजर जाना;
वक्त से टकराना और फिर बिखर जाना॥

हर मोड पर ये आंखें' बच्चों से ये कहती हैं;
कितना भी तुम उड़ लो;
पर रात को लौट के घर आना॥

Ethereal Beauty

" Ethereal Beauty"

Standing there since eternity, wearing a shawl of silver mist,

You seem so distant and ethereal, 

Cold, alone and exquisite.

Celestial Beauty, sign of passionate love,

You seem so brilliantly perfect,

Out of this world , divine and paradisiacal,

Yet too perfect to be soulful.

Why do I wish there were some flaws?

Flaws that make you more Earthly,

Inspite of that marbled, delicate grace,

Why do I wish you weren't so heavenly?

Oh Translucsent Beauty, I am the orange glow,

That touches your exterior but not your soul,

I bathe the water, warm beside you, that flows,

But can't seem to penetrate that eloquent stony cold.

Let me warm you, warm your very being,

Let me into your heart, break that Elysian screen,

Oh, Ethereal Beauty, don't stand there, alone and lonely,

Let me envelop you with my love till timeless infinity! 

       Pic courtesy: Dr. Sanjay Dhawan

For beauty is not skin deep 

But it is the fire within....

For beauty is not skin deep 

But it is the fire within......

चिराग़

ये चिराग नही दिल जल रहे हैं:
चले आओ जहाँ तक रोशनी दिखाई देती है॥

कोशिश करो ये चिराग जलते रहे;
इसमें हमारी रुहें रहती हैं॥

शमा जलती है पूरी रात:
पर जिन्दगी का हर रंग सहती है॥

तू चाह कर भी अब हमें रोक नही सकता;
हम खुशबू की तरह हवा में चलते हैं;

कोशिश भी मत करना इन्हें बुझाने की;
ये चिराग अब तेल से नही ' हवा से जलते हैं॥

" Mirror of my soul"

I am water, the elixir of life, 

Sparkling, gleaming, holding luminous light,

Gentle, seemingly quiet, without any strife......

The transparency of my being,so cool to behold,

Come sit by my side and soothe your weary soul,

I'll fill you with love, stillness and peace,

Breathe me in and find in yourself a reflection of me....

"Flame of the Forest"

Fiery, searing flames of fire, 

You fill my heart with beloved's desire,

Forbidden, passionate and mystical,

Thrilling, tender and magical.

Oh Cupid, why is there such yearning,

For unrequited love, intense and burning,

That it irradiates the forest with it's luminescence,

Dazzling the sky with all it's brilliance....

Seemingly to shout to the Cosmos,

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love....

इन्तज़ार

Intezar ;fun या फन'

सालो बाद उनसे मुलाकात हो गई;
जिन्दगी कैसा इतफाक हो गई॥

उनके चेहरे के आते जाते रंगों को देखकर;
मेरी उनसे पूरी बात हो गई॥

हैरान वो इस बात पर है;
जिस मोड पर मुझे छोडा था;
वहीं पर फिर मुलाकात हो गई॥

तूने कब कहा था इनतज़ार करने को;
ना जाने ये इनतजारी;
कैसे मेरी आदत में शुमार हो गई॥

इस पेड़ को जरा गौर से देख ;
यही से तेरी मजबूरी ;
हमारे बीच की दीवार हो गई॥

हमें तो खैर इनतज़ार करना था;
पर तेरे बगैर जिन्दगी बीमार हो गई॥

कुछ तेरे गम कुछ जहाँ के;
कुल मिलाकर जिन्दगी पार हो गई॥

अब के बिछड़े तो फिर शायद हि मिले;
जिन्दगी अब सासों से लाचार हो गई॥

अब आ ही गए हो तो शमा भी जला दो:
तुम्हारे बगैर जिन्दगी जैसे मजार हो गई॥

घमंड

घमंड
आज बुलंदी पर तुझे कितना गुरुर है;

याद रख जो चीज चढती हैं वो उतरती जरूर है;

हिना का रंग है या शराब का सरुर है;

आदमी वक्त के आगे कितना मजबूर है॥

करवा चौथ

Karwa chauth ka chand;

Aaj phool kar koopa ho gaya hai chand!

Gubbare ki tarah garam hawa se bhara hai chand;

Upper hi rahta hai ;
Kyun zameen par nahin utarta hai chand?

ख्वाइशें

'Sinful Wishes'

Ye khwaishen kitni gulabi hain;
Dil inke liye bilkul sharabi hai;

Ek poori hoti hai : hazaar chunta hai
Unke liye kitne zaal bunta hai?

Kuch poori' baki marti hai khwaishen;
Har din mandir mein' chadhti hai khwaishen;

Samunder mein lehar si khwaishen;
Nikah mein mehar si khwaishen;

Poori na ho tau' zahar si khwaishen
Pyaas se marti' behar(desert)si khwaishen;

Hothon par adh-jali' cigarette si khwaishen
Ash tray mein bujh chuki' cigarette si khwaishen;

Jawani mein sharab si khwaishen;
Uske baad khizab si khwaishen;

Kuwaron(unmarried) ki na jaane kitni khwaishen;
Married ki hardly any khwaishen;

Zindagi ke saath chalti hai khwaishen;
Marne par kya kafan mein zalti hai khwaishen?

Manacles of my Mind

   

Shacked, chained, bound to the floor,
My tired, callused feet you hold,
Cramped, weary, listless, what do you behold?
Is it my body that's chained
Or my fettered mind that's pained?

No.... it's my soul that's kept chained,
Boundaries and walls that have me maimed,
Incarcerated, imprisoned, tied and constrained....

My mind wants to break free from these bonds,
Like a chrysalis that opens up to a world of charms,
I want to dance, dance free in the wind,
In the gentle rain that drenches my being.....

But who, oh who, will set me free,
From these shells and walls that hold me,
To fulfil my desires to soar,
To touch the sky and clouds that roar.......

To reach those dizzying, dizzying heights,
To break free from a mind that fights,
To do everything that I want to achieve,
Even if the path has no rest or reprieve.....

And then, stark realisation dawns.....
It is me, it is me ,it is me,alone,
Who can liberate me from this prison of my own,
Some day ,I too will be free and soar,
Liberated in heart, mind, spirit and soul.....


And that is the hope which keeps me afloat,
And that is the hope that keeps me afloat......

घर

Unka Ghar'
Ye tumara makaan' acha laga;
Yahan ka khula aasman' acha laga;

Shahar ke shor sharabe se door;
Ye ilaka sunsan' acha laga;

Khud bhi hum ukta gaye the' is jamane se;
Khud se milna yahan' acha laga

Bahut si yaad judi hain' in tung(narrow) galiyon se;
Saalon bad yahan aana' acha laga.

Song of the sky

Wisps of cotton, ever so sheer....

You sashayed into my life shining and clear...

And I fell in love with your brilliance,

Dazzling in your glory, sparkle and ebullience.

Laughing, cavorting, we danced together,

To the pure moments of bliss we surrendered,

The breeze, our friend pushed us flirtatiously ,

A cosmic synchronised dance we danced, so joyously.....

Happiness, happiness in the depths of our souls,

Waiting and craving for joy some more.

There was no strife, there was no fight, 

Everything on our canvas seemed so right.....

And then, woe betide, all that joy you couldn't hold, 

All those happy tears in your fold,

They fell on the parched Earth below, 

And drenched it to it's very core......

But where oh where did you disappear out of sight?

When we could have the Universe with our might,

Sigh, sigh, sigh, why did true love not survive,

Inspite of our union that felt so right.....

Now I cry and laugh alone,

Blue and anguished on my own,

For that soft touch I crave, I long,

I wish we could jointly sing our song....

Dr. Shelly Singh

(Photo - Sanjay Dhawan)

'A visit to old delhi & its havelis'

In purani haveli ke pardo mein' kitne kisse dhool se lipte hai.
Aangan ke us Bargad par patte ki tarah chipte hain.

Haveli ki  har khidki'kahti ek kahani hai;
Is boodhi haveli ki neev
 mein' dabi kiski jawani hai?

Purane sandook mein wo shawl pashmine ka;
wo zafrani pullover;
Kya kahna us bazoo band ke nagine ka.

Dhooop ki jard(yellowish old)si shawl mein:
Chandni chowk khoya hai Galib ke khyal mein.

Life on railway track

Meri raat ki saij se:

In rail ki patri tak:

Kai meel ki doori hai:

Jo kabhi mil na saki:
Wo raat bhi adhoori hai;

Jahan milti hai zameen aasman se;

Milti hai ye patri (tracks) tere nazar ki kaman se;

Us mod par ;
Judega mera naam tere naam se.

Smile in the face of adversity ...

आसमान को चूमती मेरी आकांक्षाएं 

फ़ौलाद से बुलंद मेरा हौसला 

प्रकाश की गति से तेज़ मेरी कल्पना 

दुखों के पीछे भाग, उन्हें दूर भगाती मेरी मुस्कान 

मत देखो मेरा शरीर, मत समझो मुझे अपाहिज 

मैं मेरा शरीर नहीं ।

(संजय धवन)

सहारा

कौन किसका सहारा....
यह टहनियों का कंकाल,फूल पत्तों से वांछित
या ये बिजली की तारें ....लिपटी हुई इसपर
एक दूसरे पर आऋित... इस निर्मम संसार में..

- डॉ शैली सिंह

My heart & my fright

'My heart & my fright'

Mera dil  mujhse kahta hai;
Mera dar iske aas paas rahta hai;

Pathar hi pathar hai poore raaste;
Ek umeed ka dariya 'phir bhi bahta hai;

Main janta hoon tere dil ko;
Phir bhi tere har jhooth ko sahta hai;

Har kadam dimag ne' is dil ko kuchla hai
Phir bhi ye dil har pal' meri ragon mein bahta hai;

Kya karoon apne ko dhokha dena;
Mujhko acha lagta hai.

Apne paraye mein ye dil kahan farak karta hai;
Khud ka dar mujhko khud se alag rakhta hai;

Yu tau dushman bahut hai yahan;
Mera ye dar mera sabse bura karta hai.