the shades of life burn bright before fading in to the dark of the night
the sun cries tears for all humanity
much that the red of suffering sublimes in to the black of silence

the colors of silence are stronger than the tones hidden in words
the hues of whispers fail to salvage the intensity of nothingness

the hollowness returns ever again to haunt being
devoid of purpose and reason life is absurd in itself

pastel sunsets and green leaves sailing with the breeze
offer aesthetic pursuits and inspirations to the wanderer
but the souls lost within the self find no peace

i feel no peace without turmoil
the oceans the calm for now
the winds have made peace with the moon

why must the sun set now
why does the morning bring me no glory

i find myself accomplished and with reasons to be joyous
why do i not feel the happiness showered upon me

i set out with company
i isolated myself in awe of solitude

loneliness drenched me bitter and cold
it loaded my thoughts with uncertainty and despair

emotions and feelings kept me warm to the point my soul could bear it
i feaigned indiffernce in the name of survival

i survived the calamities of time and association
i conquered affinities that brought me anguish often

i was sheltered and well fed in my covers
why did life reveal itself to me again

i feel alive in my breath and beat
why must my nerves be pricked by agony again

a pack of capris
a cell phone
and a bunch of keys in my hand
a black shawl that covers me in the chill of the night
am stripped of my identity beyond all possession

the keys take me through the glass door to an elevator
technology allows me convenience from a flight of stairs
a walk down an empty corridor
and the search for the right key again

i walk in to an apartment smelling of spice and curry
i inhale nostalgia
i breathe music that is poetic beyond life

emptiness within is independent of turmoil in surroundings
hollowness inside is devoid of external solace
i am without escape or excuse

tumhare shehr ka mausum bara suhana lagay
mein aik shaam chura lu agar bura na lagay

they say autumn in georgetown is beautiful
i see shades of the drowning sun fading in to green of life
the breeze blows with a freedom of its own
it whispers in my ears nostalgia of a land far away
autumn in my city has colors of its own
it is green and rust beyond the hues of this mass of trees around me

the leaves in my city flew with the winds with a limitation of their own
they sailed with the breeze yet never let go of their origins
i feel my roots buried in their limited freedom
i feel my will planted in the shoots of green that never turned gold
white that was never pure enough
a crescent that never shone bright enough
a star that never turned in to a constellatin
i miss my idealistic constellation
i miss my crescent without peace
i miss my green and white
and the void between

pastel sun sets and a river that never stops flowing
walks over the bridge every day
and a flight of stairs that leaves me breathless

familiar faces sprinkled all over campus
and friendly hellos that escape my awareness

the green of life, lush and pure
clouds soft as cotton candy and light as rainbows

i dream a new moment every time i blink my eyes
each blink brings to me a beauty anew

i am in an alien land away from home
but at last i find the aliens within my self appeased

in a foreign far away land
i feel my being at ease

arlington planet

there is freedom within
there is freedom beyond
there is no destination worth giving up the journey for

music knows no language
performers do not compose or sing for race, color or ethnicity

the drums beat alike for all bodies
some move slow
some move fast
some move quick
some move with deliberation
nonetheless breathing souls move to music all the time

an evening out with a day old acquaintance and 2 strangers
one photographer and two painters
one american, one african and one moroccon
one woman and two men
put it any way you like
i had an evening out with three artists
three interesting people

a free international music festival
nice weather and th langauge of life in the air
i could dance to it all night
i could sing along forever

i feel invigorated by myself
i feel alive from within
i feel freedom
all around
i feel freedom within

aaloo gosht & tortila bread

garam shorba aur chapati
zeera, dhaniya aur mirach
namak aur kali sfaid mirchi
bohat sa piyaz lehsun aur tamatar
dil khol ke tel
aur josh der josh bhuni hui handi

diar-e-gair mein ghar ka khana
aur bin ghar walon ko ghar ki yaad

hamesha ka bhatka hua musafir kyunkar ghar ko yaad keray
bin dastak darwazon ki raak taknay walon ko kis ka intezar

barish apne des mein bhi khub barsa kerti thi
barsaat ki bheegi hawa
aur boondon ka palat palat tapakna

magar apni barish se kabhi dharkan sard mehsoos nahi hui
apni barsaat mein khunki aur nami lakh sahi
magar sard thandak na thi

yahan ki barish sard hai
yahan ka aasman neela magar weeran hai
yahan ke baadal ujlay magar be-khawb hain

apne des ke aaloda aasman pe bhi umeed ki jhalak dikhti thi
yahan ka dhoola ujla aasman weeran-o-biyabaan hai

bichar janay walay laut aya kertay hain
tootay bandhan jur jaya kertay hain
khichay dhagay waqt ki hawahon mein lipat jaya kertay hain

magar khud se door khudi mein bhatkay musafir ki koi manzil nahi hua kerti
khud se nikal ker khud hi mein mulawis musafir ki koi umeed nahi hoti

aaj hawa bohat sard
barish bohat ajnabi
aur aasman bohat weeran hai

aaj zamanay se barh ker ajnabi
ajnabi ke andar ka jahan hai