Father's Thought for a Daughter on Goa Beach

समंदर
तुम्हारा अनंत विस्तार,
मानो क्षितिज से
वर्चस्व के युध्ध में
निरंतर रत है;
मेघ जैसे उतर आये हैं
बचपन के मित्र की तरह
तुम्हारे माथे के स्वेद बिन्दुओं को
पोछ देने को,
और सूरज जैसे कोई उत्सुक
राहरौ, माने ठिठक के
इस अनवरत अभियान को तक रहा हो
ना जीतने वाला है कोई उसका
न कोई हारने वाला|
थक कर थोड़ी देर में
अपनी राह चल देगा वोह
और चल देगा,
तुम्हारा दोस्त बादल
और तुम
यूँ ही उलझे रह जाओगे
इस अनवरत अभियान में
ना कोई हाथ थामेगा
न कोई रक्त पोछेगा|
बस एक नन्ही नदी
तेरी बेटी, अश्रु पूरित नेत्रों से
तुम्हें संघर्ष रत
तकती रहेगी, तुम्हारे पांव दाबेगी
तुम्हारा माथा चूमेगी
और अपनी राह में बटोरे
सारे दर्द, सारी हंसी, सारा प्यार
तुम्हारी छाती से लग कर
तुम्हें सब सौंप देगी,
और अपनी सब उदासी,
तुम्हारी खामोशी में गर्क कर देगी
और उस वक़्त, ये निरर्थक सा दीखने वाला अभियान
अटल एक अर्थ पा लेगा
जो तुम एक धरोहर पानी की
क्षितिज पे जीत की सूरत
उफक के हाँथ सौपोगे
जिसे वोह पर्वतों के पार जाकर
उसी नन्ही सी बेटी को,
निरंतरता की शक्ल सौंपेगा/
और तुम एक पर्वतों से टूटती
नन्हे प्रपात में
बह निकालोगे.

O Great Ocean
Your grand expanse
seem to be engaged
an unending, eternal
struggle for dominance,
against the Horizon
Looming over your being.
Clouds though have come down
like long lost friends of childhood
to wipe the sweat that appears on
your weary forehead.
And the Sun
as if a curious passer by
stands by to watch the eternal struggle,
with mere curousity
and no interest towards
the winner or the loser in this struggle;
will get bored and move on his way
So will your friend
Cloud will also go his way,
All you will be left with
will be a tiny rivulet
Your little daughter
with moist eyes,
will stay back ,
Massage your bruised knees,
and kiss your weary forehead,
And in your embrace
loose all that she had collected on the way
all the pain, laughter and love
and submerge all the sadness of the way
in her Father's silence
and it will be the moment,
when this seemingly
futile and needless struggle
will find a meaning, an eternal meaning
as you will put some water in
the custody of the Horizon so far,
A victor,
burdening him to carry it off to
far mountains,
as you render longetivity and
continuity to your daughter and life itself
when it will break into a
tiny stream in the mountains, after the rain.

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