Teri judai ka mujhko gila nahin...

Teri judaai ka mujhe koi gilaa nahin
Ye gham kisi aur ko to milaa nahin

Mere bharose ko khoob todte rahe
Main us se oob gaya tha hila nahin

Sare kaam baa tarteeb ba asool hon
Ab tak aisa mauka mujhe mila nahin

Saanvle log rang nahin badal paate
Ye raaz mujh par abhi khula nahin

Tera ishq bada kamzarf hai 'Quateel'
Marta hai marne de ise jilaa nahin

Quateel Ahmad
1 April 2013

Drought

In the unpromising unforgiving sky 
puffs of distant high vapours
at once native and alien like
inspectors of worth and value
that breeze out without remark

far below these hopeless shrouds
are human heads, covered and bare
but no gaze rises with expectation
seeking the dark laden armada 

the merciless sun shines, making it impossible to hide
heads bowed, held in hands plainly
gaze firmly fixed on the earth
blaming it for being so stupid
to need rain, to need clouds
those vagabonds of no fixed address
of no fidelity or virtue

the labours of the blamers
done in by truant beneficience
the canals that were dug
with hope aided by science 
now serve only to flood homes
with furrowed brows and plain despair

in this land hope lies fallow and like a signal of the end 
from the eye to the cheek
the only descent of moisture bends



First posted Jan 2011

My Monsoon

And the night begets more rain
rays of stark dark water
The shoots of life
Descending
With little gusto
To meet muddy ends
Sinking hope of life in earth again

Patter prevails
Ennui ensues
And obliterates
Something of the
Lighter notes
of my being
The fetid smell of me
tired beyond a freshing recourse

But shortly I am refreshed
Its the same patter that revives
And fills the heart with happiness
And now I think
You can take all the sunsets by the shore
Valleys like of Paradise itself
Rolling meadows and dales
Snowcapped mountains and all
That is deemed most beautiful

And yet cannot for me match
the sounds and smell of the monsoon
When it finally arrives
bearing down on my doors and windows
Forcing itself in every crevice it can find
To water my soul and nourish my mind

Quateel Ahmad

Sher

Ye nahin ke mujhko aitebaar nahin
taveel itna bhi koi intezaar nahin

March 15, 2013

Kya nahin rehta

Saadabayaani mein uski kya kya nahin rehta
Maani hai ek waazeh to dujaa nahin rehta

Main uske chhall ka zikr karun to phir kahaan
Miley wo ghar jaa bhakt uska nahin rehta

Khaamiyaan hain mujhmein bhi par ye nahin
Jidhar ka pata diya hai wahaan nahin rehta

kin farebon ke supurd kiya gham e hayaat ne
Ujaala nahin hota ke andhera nahin rehta

Chup gaya dekar mujhko zindagi ki kitaab wo
Lafz aisa nahin jisme pata uska nahin rehta

Quateel Ahmad
March 14, 2013

Kuch ye duniya bhi jee behlaane lagi hai

Kuch ye duniya bhi jee behalaane lagi hai
Aur tu bhi kuch kam yaad aane lagi hai

turbat per meri aakar na mujhko sataana
Ba mushkil kahin to neend aane lagi hai

Besaakhta ab tu kyun kuch nahin kehti
Apni kis baat ko mujhse chupaane lagi hai

Neend se utha deta hai ek dard aksar
Aur chot pataa nahin kahaan lagi hai

Aiteraaz tujhe hai is ghar ke raqbe se
Saaro umr mujhe ise banaane mein lagi hai

Quateel Ahmad
March 2013

March of the Mango People

Ek damaad ne is mulk ke aam logon ko 'Mango People' kaha tha.... Ye uspar likha tha...

Naye raaste se manzil ko aaj chalo
Guzre kal ko bhulaa ke aaj chalo

Aage chalo peeche ya saath chalo
Phir kabhi na sahi per aaj chalo

Le ke haathon mein tum haath chalo
Kal na pachhtaana ho to aaj chalo

Ban ke hasrat tum betaab chalo
Bahaa do sab, ban ke sailaab chalo

Anginat niklo behisaab chalo
Lautaane aankhon mein hain khaab chalo

Mulk ho gaya hai bezaar chalo
Aur kitne sahoge ispe vaar chalo

Naunehaalon tumhi ho sartaaj chalo
Looteron se cheen lein aao raaj chalo

Quateel Ahmad
17 October 2012

Sher

Fark sirf tareekhon ka reh gaya akhbaaron mein
Chalon yaaron, surkhion ka bhi kuch kiya jaaye.

O the problems of Bandra youngsters today and their frankness.....


Teri baat bakwaas lagti hai,
tu kisi aur ki bhi khaas lagti hai,
itni der se fone free nahin hai tera,
aur tu mere calls ko track karti hai

wo kaun hai jis se cafe mein
tu smiles clash karti hai
mujhe farak nahin padta lekin
khud ko mujhse kyun attach karti hai?

tere liye mere paas time nahin
har time tu ye attack karti hai
jab dekho tab bbm chat pe
apna status 'Black!' kyun karti hai?

Main apni gaadi se khush hoon
tu Beemer ke liye nag kyun karti hai?
Aaj main full time tere saath hoon to
to friends ko saath drag kyun karti hai?

Tu mujhe achchi lagti hai
lekin uska itna full fayda kyun leti hai?
main 'is in a relationship' hoon to
tu 'its complicated' kyun karti hai?

Zubaan rakhte hain

Haan jo haasil e ilm zubaan rakhte hain
Apne lehje ka bhi dhyaan rakhte hain

Aksar karte hain jo daave tajurbe ke
baal apne siyaah imkaan rakhte hain

Roz jalte hain waswason ki lapton mein
Jo ghar mein ek beti jawaan rakhte hain

Teer e talab kabhi udhar se nahin aata
bhanvon mein kyun kamaan rakhte hain

Wo khul ke hanste hue bhi dekhe gaye 
lehja sirf hum se natavaan rakhte hain

nasiihat se jinki ghuroor tepakta tha
Muflisi mein bada itmenaan rakhte hain

Quateel Ahmad
15 February 2013

A misplaced notion - Review of the movie 'Jack Reacher'
2/10 | Quateel Ahmad | 2 Jan 2013

In India, one is used to seeing Hindi films, most heroes are Jack Reacher plus Sinatra and Gene Kelly - in built. So the fantasy part is easily digested. and the similarities don't end there. The music is loud and jarring during the opening sequence yet strangely absent at other times.
The miscast Cruise has managed to alienate me from both Tom Cruise the actor and Jack Reacher the i'm-not-a-hero guy. I like Tom's acting (since Legend, mind you) but he is just not able to convey the silent menace that Reacher is. Reacher's whole problem lies in being too big. Never a great thing for an investigator, it is simply incredible to assume that anyone Tom's size is having a problem blending in.
That said, this particular film is so Hindi film like it is not funny. The third person description of Reacher's persona, the good guy shooter in the climax, the fistfight etc all reek of a machismo that this chap on the screen is unable to convince me he has.
The script is good, tight and even. shot taking is neither here nor there. And even if you can overcome your aspersions on the main casting, you will have to make an effort to ignore the quip-like dialogue. Reacher's not a man of many words but he is not one of smart quips either. Also, you will have to ignore the plastic tension between the defense attorney and her investigator. Pike's role as the defence lawyer has no highlights despite padded-up screen time. The only thing real is the black police officer. For once, a good fresh grim looking face.
Why did I bother writing this review. To show that once superstars get involved they can jack the best new franchise up. This was a big movie made small by the big star. Lee Child, Tut tut. Tom Cruise, grow up. Or hire other actors if you are the producer. Read my lips 'for me you can never be Jack Reacher'. By cutting Reacher down to his size, he has ensured that people like me stay with the book. Venting complete.

WO LADKI

Wo Ladki
Mushkilon se usay muskurata dekha
Taaron ko din mein jagmagata dekha
Sweater ko kirnon mein nahata dekha
Kirnon se chehra bhi jhilmilaata dekha

Gehri aankhein hain gehre raaz liye
Zulfein apne mein sau andaaz liye
Chehra bhi hai suraj ka aizaz liye
Lab surkh mizaaj e shiraaz liye

Usne yaadon mein dil phansaa rakha tha
Muskuraahaton ko door bhagaa rakha tha
Itni masroof nahin jitna bataa rakha tha
Lekin maine bhi ek deep jalaa rakha tha
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ye kya rishta hai jise humne banaa rakha hai
Sawaal kyun apne beech ek khadaa rakha hai

Yehi sawaal raaton ko jagaa rakhega
Ye aksar humein khudse khafa rakhega

Mere peeche uske aage hai zindagi badi aisi
Kya mere peeche hatne ki aa gayi ghadi aisi

Socha ki na de paaunga usko sab kuch
Haq mera banta hi nahin phir ab kuch
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Koi pehle koi der se jeevan mein aata kyun hai
dopahar ko dil naya chand dikhaata kyun hai
baat ghalat hai to dil mujhe manata kyun hai
Zindagi ne khilona humein banaya kyun hai

Zimmedari aasan nahin hai is dil ki
Ek asmaan hadd nahin hai is dil ki
Bikharne ki zidd nayee hai is dil ki
main na sunoon ab koi baat is dil ki

Quateel Ahmad
23 Jan 2013

Fone per baat karta hai rabt se malaal, achcha hai
Wo mujhse door gar, rahta hai khush haal achcha hai

Jiske goshon mein naummeedi ki fasal hi lehlahaaye
Us khet mein building banane ka khayal achcha hai

Bahot sharaab pilayi hai aaj mujhe raqeebon ne
Doobe may-e-hasad mein khumar-e-visaal achcha hai

Na mujhse Urdu bol, wa mun Turkie nami danum
Jo do zubaan rakhta ho aaj usika haal achcha hai

Quateel Ab ek hi shakhs ko shiddat se dhoondiye
Wo brahman jisne kaha tha ye saal achcha hai

Kya martaba badha liya apna?

Kya martaba badha liya apna?
Kya mujhe bana liya apna?

Ab aati nahin mujhse buu koi
ya badal liya tuney libas apna

use aksar ruk ke dekhte hain
kiraaye pe utha hai makan apna

paison ka kuch asar hua hoga
aisa munh tha kahaan apna

apne mein mukammal hoon
Khud se dil hai badguman apna

Guns and People

Guns don't kill people
Its people that kill people
People with guns that is
So keep people away from guns
Or people away from people

The people who are away from people
Are ones that go closer to the guns
Its the those with the guns
That kill the people

The sickness is in being away from people
The sickness is in being close to guns
When its people who make people
Why is it people who make guns
People who make guns
Kill people
They are the enemy
Of those who make people

People have life
Guns have death
People with guns
Use life to bring death

Quateel Ahmad
16 December 2012

after the Sandy Hills elementary school where a 20 yr old man killed more than twenty 4-6 yr old schoolchildren. This poem is an exception to my not writing on current topics.

Horrible Poetry

I had a real friend who later turned imaginary
A chap with disposition rather dromedary

Cheesed off with my tongue rather blunt
He felt he needed to pull this tasteless stunt

Restrict friends and hide oneself away
On facebook's easily possible today

But the question that deigns to be asked
Why was this subterfuge so blithey tasked

Ah! I see that we share some groups
My comments critiques taken to be rebukes

My corrections I didn't know were unwelcome
Now straight talk I have totally dumped

All I now offer is applause and appreciation
Be it a verse trite or banal pontification

And if I don't understand something
I just keep quiet. Its okay not knowing

And when the pompous fools jabber about
With fucked-up language and blow their spout

I just ignore this in the interest of peace
Don't throw me out of this group o please

I have pissed many people off I know
Only because those who should say no
Have led the deluded into believing
Their words have weight of thoughts in sieving

But it keeps me up at nights this pandering deceit
Language curses me for letting plant the seed

'What for I am' seething blindingly this way
There's no grammar discipline or metered array

Why is it that those who should know better
base the praise on the topic not verse or letter

If form is not important and topic adequate
Why not just write it down and exclaimate

This is no poem but a warning call
Let's see by morning who's first to bawl

Quateel Ahmad
Dec 2012

Kya zaroori hai

Tujhse mohabbat is dil ki majboori hai.
Kya yeh adaa e berukhi zaroori hai

Chaand aur sooraj bhi ek ho jaate hain
Dilon ka garhan lagna kya zaroori hai

Har maikade mein tu dikhaayi deta hai
Hosh khone ko uska hona zaroori hai

Hausle ko mere farogh dete hain
Mera girna jinke liye zaroori hai

Mausam e gul mein sirf kaliyaan hain
Is soorat e haal mein dakhal zaroori hai

Dast-bardaar na ho itni jaldi mein
Bojh ki nazaakat samajhna zaroori hai

Quateel Ahmad
12 November 2012

Ashiaane mein sajaaya kya kya

Ashiaane mein sajaaya kya kya
khwaab dekhe to sazaa kya kya

Ek chhoti is humne baat kahi
Matlab dekho nikaalein kya kya

Hum hi hai jo khayaal rakhte hain
Waise keh jaate hain log kya kya

Bada saada sa khat likhkha aur
Ki namabar ko nasihat kya kya

Achcha hota jo tum bhi pee lete
Lutf nashe ke bataain kya kya

Sab hi yahan meherbaan apne
Guman ye dekho sikhaaye kya kya

Ek moorat teri banaane ko
Mitti mein milaaun kya kya

Laute bhi us gali se 'Quateel'
Jaley kya aur bujhaaye kya kya

Quateel Ahmad
26 October 2012

I Am Black

There is a leitmotif
Of arrogance and ignorance
In your honest friendly nature
You want to erase all sense
Of impropriety and savage conduct
by giving me new appellations

I used to be known as a negro
Or Black
or colored even
for those who wanted to
Capture the varying shades
Of my beautiful existence

But they made it hell
Picked on, slaved, beaten
Raped, murdered and sold
all because they could.
All this while they were saving my soul
With their own god and ways

I didn't mind
I came to this big country
Which I first landed on
with fettered feet
But when I sang
God listened
When I walked
Breeze was born
And when I ran
Deer looked at me with awe
I was a specimen like no other
In chains when no one else was
I was black and that was that

That was a long time ago
And today I am as much a part
Of this land as any other
The bones of my great ancestors
Is in this earth
Rivers here I have bathed in
Fields tilled and fish caught
animals reared and slaughtered
Married and children begot

Then some kind souls want to
Wash away old sins of others
Make me want to forget the torments
Linked with my black negro being
Decide to call me African American

I am at once proud of my proud lineage
My people, Africa and a smile
Till I think about it.

Is my being American
not halved by being called thus
Is this any way to address people
Most who have never been to Africa

Chinese Amercian, Asian American,
Japanese American, Indian, Pakistani,
What lies behind these names?
Are citizens of Indian, Pakistani and Latino
race not American?
Why is a person Chinese American yet another African American? Does it matter if Chinese are confused with Korean American, Hmong and Vietnamese or Filipino...

But more than anything else
Why don't we have Irish Americans,
Italian Americans, German Americans,
French Americans, Polish Americans
Czech Americans and of course English Americans

They are all simply described as white
Or even more simply as Americans.

So I would rather be called a black American.
Or just an American
I am from here and nowhere else
I am not going to be caught up in platitudes
created by weak or evil minds

So I have decided that I will write my name
And my colour is for all to see
Don't nigger me for I am Black
And the world is happily black brown yellow red and white
And all shades in between.

As good as it gets

We only have ourselves to blame
Our pleasant togetherness
was that drifted us apart,
We had what was good,
but needed more,

Harboured incredulous notions
of love passion fed
by movies by books,
By words of twisted poets heavenly sublime
I wanted us to be better
You wanted us to be perfect
Neither seeing what we were, are
hunger for a greater love
became its very poison

Today passing through the shadows
Of fleeting relationships
Of veneers of attachments and likes
Of lusts and pitys
Realise far from each other
That thing we had
Was as good as it gets

Feb 7, 2011

KYA BAN KE

Mil naseeb ban ke

Bol saaz ban ke
Baras abr ban ke
Taras pyar ban ke
So bachcha ban ke
Sun mann ban ke
Naach khushi ban ke
Chadh jawaani ban ke
Thehar gham ban ke
Jaag ishq ban ke
Badal mausam ban ke
Bichad saathi ban ke
Jee dariyaa ban ke
Mar khwahish ban ke
Quateel Ahmad
18 October 2012

ODE TO JOY

And this is how the story went
From lofty palace to tattered tent
A wave had risen unexplained
Of Joy strong jagged unplaned

It just ran right through the world
Bowed rivers great and brooks curl'd
In mountains of snow skin and fire blood
Through fecund fields of redding mud
Grew to be like an endless shore
Then came and sat on Heart's floor
Who let it rule from that small deep seat
And other Emotions felt unjust the treat
Joy was restless it needed space
To break the walls and be a flighty grace
Sorrow vowed to change make
To run Joy out and its place take
Fear and Despair flew Sorrow's banner
Anxiety and Pain in similar manner
Joy the strongest took no heed
A friend the wanderer didn't need
Since then the battle rages on
Joy leaves the heart and is unbound
Still it reigns when it returns
Sorrow and Joy rule Heart by turns
Quateel Ahmad
Dec 2011

THE DRUMMER

Lies in state resplendent
his old uniform brassy
Shined to a gleam
By someone I don't know

The flies buzz around
Its hot, the power's out
So far he's the only one
Not sweating or cursing
Probably at peace
Probably

The parlor window overlooks
The road to the cemetery
And in the verandah outside
The bench favoured by him
And his band
Where they smoked cigarettes.
Waiting to lead the final journeys
Disuse now writ upon the old bench
there is soft rubbery wood rust
that shows up after the rains
and just stays
Dries and darkens
Like the future of many

Of the perils a long life
the risk of loneliness is the biggest
He would recall certain days and deaths
With sadness and pride
When he led columns of hundreds
And of times when tears didn't dry

Its changing world this is
the young have no clue
Of the proper ways to death
And before that what it is to do

The drummer knew that and more
The town now full of strangers
The parish thin and weakening
The Bugler was the only one left
A wheezer with just half a lung

The wake seems long
And the arrivals few
Some just happened to be
so will stay for the final trip

Those who walk into the parlor
See pictures brought by the son
A life faded but vigorous once
A war and a wedding
some shiny shoes
Some gummy smiles
Him doing the jive

It is time and the Bugler makes
A sorrowful call clear and powerful
Eyes watering from pain
Of lung or bereavement
Who can tell

The body is placed
In Lobo's hearse,
newly repainted
Fittingly

The mourners numbers swell
Every household in the village
Is present here in flesh
And many more in spirit

All ready to go but none moving yet
Till the Drummer's son picks up
The drum and sticks and is adamant
Starts the final journey

His paced out beat not clearly struck
But timed perfectly
A lifetime of listening at work
The Drummer seems at peace
And his final journey marches
To the beat of a different drummer

Quateel Ahmad
2012

DISDAIN

The spirituality you seek is just as ethereal
so why disdain the things that are material

Why does transigence bother you o mortal
The fibre of our being its the very material

Auspices stars omens signs everywhere
Rises self-belief makes it all immaterial

In a moment all resistance capitulate
On lover's glance not orders ministerial

KAM HAI

Jitna bhi kiya hua kam hai
Ab chalne ko raasta kam hai

Kehte hain badaa hai dil uska
Is marz ki to davaa kam hai

Rai leta hoon apne chhoton se
Unmein ajza e raaegan kam hai

Jo muskuraaye apni aankhon se
Dil main uske maiyl kam hai

Kayi hain ab haqdaar iske
Aur pyaar mujhe mila kam hai

Maine keh diya tha sabkuch
Wo kehte hain likha kam hai