Prayers

I

To Allah, Bhagwan, Rab
You eternal, me temporal
You here, there, everywhere
me? wherever.
But am convinced
our friendship is
real, ethereal and more.


II

Been
been
since invoking your favours
twenty-six, maybe thirty
years?
my prayers came true and
every night, every morn
since
finding her by my side
I tire not of thanking you.


III

Everyone is talking these
days
of not a new beginning
but an ending
the passing of an
era
of
a year, century, millennium.
Candles, battery, champagne

“Iftar”, “ sehr,” celebration.
These times have relevance
none
compared to your eternity.
And amidst these
celebrations
this heart atones

it pleads,
don’t know why,
to ask
for
favours again.
Not for me this time, thank
you
for all my wants are
filled
......and most
wishes.
Good days, good nights,
good friends
what else do I need?
But as this is the
season to ask
so ask I will,
once more
-- grant the wishes of my friends.
You will, my friend, you
must
grant them their wishes,
prayers
for now this has become a
moot point
of our friendship, you see?

Eeshwur say
prar’thnaa
Khuda’ say
du’aa
Rab noon ardaas


I

Tu’ hay naa’janay kab say
Tu’ ho’ga na’janay kab
t’lak
Tu’ kahaN
aur maiN
kahaN
magar hay yeh baat bhi
puck’ki
kay hay pu’rani teri meri
yaari.


II

Mood’dat
hoo’iye hay
tujh say
kuch maaN’gay hu’aye
ko’iye chabh-bees,
tees saal oodhar
maaN’gaa thaa tujh say, oos
ko
aur oosGod and those who believe in too little God.