Saturday, 19^th May 2007, was my first poetry recitation in public. Whew! Quite an exhilarating experience I must say.

I wasn’t willing to read it out. The crowd was elite, intellectual, and highly talented. There was this 70-year old powerhouse of talent. He was singing classical music. And when the host suggested that I read out my poems, I wanted to make sure I read the best of the lot. Even then I wasn’t sure if I should read it at all.  

Finally I read out 3 Hindi and 1 English poem.  

Obviously the recitation wasn’t that good coz it was my first ever public recitation. But the response was phenomenal. When I got off everybody wanted to talk to me. And tell me that I was good.  

The next morning when I got up, lots of thoughts were making rounds. And I quickly penned them down. One follows, and the other one will enter my collection to publish.  

Mehfil

Lafzon mein khud ko pesh kiya
Kai logon ne sar aankhon pe kiya
Sirf chand logon ne hi samjha mujhe 

Main to apne aap se baat kar rahi thi
Na jaane kab ye mehfil saji
Yun laga jaise khud se begaani ho gayi 

Kuch hasrat aaj yakaayak poore huye
Aarzoo to aur bhi bahut thi humein
Sirf chand hasrat aaj dafn huye 

Aaj haath badhaaya to sab the
Mujh mein khud ko dekhte sab the
Sab mein lekin main kahin kho gayi 

Jo aankh khuli to koi na tha
Who baatein raat ke saath dhal gayi
Chand khwaab phir adhoore reh gaye 

Rakshita Verma
May 20, 2007