रखरखाव

तमाम जिस्म ही घायल था, घाव ऐसा था
कोई न जान सका, रखरखाव ऐसा था।

-कृष्ण बिहारी 'नूर '

Always

Flowers, Always

BY CATE MARVIN

Inexplicable, the sign outside a deli scrawled

with FLOWERS and below that: ALWAYS.

But there were no flowers. And I have never

seen an Always. I would like to, and I have looked.

I have kept my eye keen for Always, 

have liked its idea like an expensive purse, 

coveting it as it appears, 

riding the arms of rich ladies who are so very lady.

I've rolled on velvet cushions where I heard Always slept,

and I once tried to kiss Always,

but I don't think it was the Always

I was looking for.

I like your Always, it looks

such a demanding pet. It looks like it kisses

nice and soft.

It looks like the bruise I found flowering on my knee.

I fell down at your voice.

Not to worry, I got right back up, walked ten

more blocks and by then I was halfway home.

I knock my knees blue and scabbed crawling

toward you, wanting flowers,

 and always, always, always

to slide against the cold vinyl of a car's seat,

your pale hands on the bare backs of my legs,

that's one Always I want, and whoever knew

there were so many species of Always? 

Your bare hands on the pale backs

of my thighs, printing bruise,

and if you said Flowers, said Always and we

could erect a forever 

of something like sheets and breakfast and an ordinary

day, my eyes would  always slide across the table toward you,

 to warm their twin marbles in your palm, my face would flower for you daily, 

so that when we die, roses might petal themselves out our throats.

Prayer

BY FRANCISCO X. ALARCÓN

TRANSLATED BY FRANCISCO ARAGÓN

I want a god

as my accomplice

a god

who whistles

through the streets

and trembles

before the lips

of his lover

a god

who waits in line

at the entrance

of movie houses

and likes to drink

café au lait

a god

who hurts

to the last

bone and

bites the air

in pain

I want a

more godlike

god

दो -चार साल बाद

घर में जो एक ताख था ऊँचा नहीं रहा।
दो -चार साल बाद जो मैं अपने घर गया। 

कुछ न बोले तो.....

कुछ न बोले तो कहानी में बदल जाएंगे।
आग बुझ जाएगी, पानी में बदल जाएंगे।
क्यों ये तारीख भला याद रखेगी हमको,
हम भी क़िस्सा-ए-फानी में बदल जाएंगे। 

Read this somewhere

अन्याय सह कर बैठे रहना, यह महा दुष्कर्म है। 

न्यायार्थ अपने बंधु को भी दंड देना धर्म है। 

इस हेतु ही तो कौरवों और पांडवों का रण हुआ। 

जो भव्य भारतवर्ष के कल्पान्त का कारण हुआ। 

कभी रस्ते में मिल जाओ तो कतरा कर गुज़र जाना।
हमें इस तरह तकना जैसे पहचाना नहीं तुमने।
हमारा ज़िक्र जब आए तो यूँ अनजान बन जाना।
हमारा नाम सुनकर भी हमें जाना नहीं तुमने।