kuchh panktiyaan

a menthol lozenge melting cool
the sparkly blue of a swimming pool
the warmth of an old friend’s hug
telling stories on a wine stained rug

waking up after a lovely night
a satisfied smile of remembered delight
spending hours in a timeless haze
discovery and laughter - filled days

mellow sunlight from a curtained window
the little half-moon on a pedicured toe
the sound of laughter, the clink of glass
being barefoot on tickly green grass

striped beach towels by the sea
a tanned you, a sunburnt me
the sound of waves, the feel of sand
walking with you hand in hand

 i love these memories and how they rhyme
reliving my little joys time after time.

jiya lage na...

if i ever had to make a list of my top five hindi movie songs, this song from 'anand' would definitely have a place. lata mangeshkar is flawless, melodious, brilliant - and i am not even a lata fan. the lyrics are powerful. the music is charming and gentle, salil choudhary if i remember correctly.

ghalib

apparently ghalib was born around this time more than two hundred years ago. poetry buffs on the internet are all remembering him rather vocally. i have read and appreciated several of his works, even though i haven't necessarily understood every single word in every single piece. for me the fluidity of the language and the flow of the words are enough if the meaning is unclear. urdu poetry i think is meant to be read out by someone, rather than read by yourself - what an amazingly beautiful language and what justice ghalib does to it.

here are a couple of lines from one of my favourites - hazaaron khwaahishen aisi...

khudaa ke vaaste pardaa na kaabe se uthaa zaalim

kahiin aisaa na ho yahan bhii vahii kaafir sanam nikale

bahut nikale mere armaan magar phir bhi kam nikale...

not asking for much...

a dear friend reminded me of this song and introduced me to this version.... enjoy it!




[UPDATE / MAR 2011]
ok, the video has since disappeared. you can still find it on youtube though - go here.

hyacinth

poetry is hyacinths for my soul. if you know what i mean.
http://www.urdupoetry.com/ghalib28.html

image borrowed from flowersformums.co.uk.