Hindi Kavita: शहर (City)

This hindi kavita is reflection of some observations and thoughts about the city life, the people and the ways we have become used to spending life. I have spent most of my life in cities and it has been great. Yet, when I think about my childhood and the time I spent in my village, it makes me wonder and reflect. The slowness and simplicity of life in the villages and countryside: limited means and aspirations, the open wide sky, lazy afternoon and the dimly lit evenings. Sometimes, I crave for that.

Contrast this to the city life, we observe a lot of aspects of life and people which work differently and yet we just notice and move on. Some of these aspects are captured in the lines below, hope it resonates with you.

Here it goes: Hindi Kavita, शहर

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मकान अच्छे हैं मगर दीवारों में दरारें हैं
लोग भले तो हैं मगर लालच के मारे हैं

ये शहर भी तो अपना लगता नहीं अब
दोस्त यहाँ वक़्त की गिरफत में सारे हैं

भरी रहती है मेरे घर के आगे की सड़क
मंज़िल तलाशते फिरते कौन ये बेचारे हैं

सूरज इमारतों के पीछे छिप जाता है शहर में
लोग अक्सर गिरते हैं यहाँ जैसे टूटते तारे हैं

सड़क की बत्तियों के बीच छुपती रात की परछाई
नींद को तरसती आँखें शहर में ढूंढती सहारे हैं

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Interested in reading more poetry and ghazals?

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