Life And Time Poems

साधारण जन – राजीव कृष्ण सक्सेना

How resilient are the common people. They just carry on, in spite of calamities

I feel amazed at the resilience of the common Indians. We see how they suffer calamities and then catch the straws of life and start all over again. Be it floods, draughts, earthquakes or terrorism, they are back on their feet in no time. One truly wonders where that internal …

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उस पार न जाने क्या होगा – हरिवंश राय बच्चन

We watch the river and wonder what will be there on the other side!

This is a very famous poem of Harivansh Rai Bachchan. We know nothing about where we go after death. The poet here expresses his apprehensions about the unfamiliar turf where one would find himself after the death and looks with a certain degree of nostalgia, about the familiarity of this …

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पहली कोशिश – राज नारायण बिसारिया

First futile attemp at finding love!

This poem belongs to an era of 1950s. Boys and girls did not meet freely and a feminine mystique existed in the eyes of young boys. There were many attempts at getting near a girl, but most ended without any consequence. Castles were made in air and got demolished all …

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गीत फरोश – भवानी प्रसाद मिश्र

What a lovely poem this is. Subtle humor mixed with lots of pain of a poet who sees commercialization of poetry all around him. I heard it about 60 years ago being recited by Bhawani Prasad ji himself and it left a deep impression- Rajiv K. Saxena गीत फरोश जी …

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तुम कितनी सुंदर लगती हो: धर्मवीर भारती

How beautigul you look when you feel sad!

तुम कितनी सुंदर लगती हो तुम कितनी सुंदर लगती हो जब तुम हो जाती हो उदास! ज्यों किसी गुलाबी दुनिया में सूने खंडहर के आसपास मदभरी चांदनी जगती हो! मुख पर ढंक लेती हो आंचल ज्यों डूब रहे रवि पर बादल‚ या दिनभर उड़ कर थकी किरन‚ सो जाती हो …

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पिता की मृत्यु पर – निदा फ़ाज़ली

A son turns out to be a copy of his father. As we grow, we gradually realize that in our mannerism, thinking and opinions, we become more and more like our fathers. Here is a touching poem that brings out this truth out in the voice of the son at …

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मधुशाला – हरिवंश राय बच्चन

Madhushala

Madhushala is one of the most popular book of Hindi poetry. There was a time that this work of poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan Ji, comprising 135 verses, was a craze. Here are few selected verses from Madhushala. Rajiv Krishna Saxena मधुशाला मृदु भावों के अंगूरों की आज बना लाया हाला‚ …

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कांच का खिलौना- आत्म प्रकाश शुक्ल

So temporary! What is the point of life?!

Life is so short. At times it seems rather pointless and absurd. Here is a very down to earth perspective on life that is very Indian. Rajiv Krishna Saxena कांच का खिलौना माटी का पलंग मिला राख का बिछौना। जिंदगी मिली कि जैसे कांच का खिलौना। एक ही दुकान में …

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परम्परा – रामधारी सिंह दिनकर

Tradition is so precious!!

Tradition (parampara) is strong in India but the forces of post-modernism are chipping at it. Tradition may appear irrational but it provides the inner strength to a society. One is resigned to the fact that in due course of time, Indian society would give up its traditional ways. While this …

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पतंगों का मौसम – शिव मृदुल

Season of kites!

Raksha bandhan, Janmashtami and 15 August are the festivals when the sky in Northern India gets dotted by kites of wonderful colors. That madness engulfs every one. Strings tied to the eaten cob of corn (bhutta) act as lai-langar to force down kites. There is a mad rush to grab …

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