Bangles

Halo of planets

Kaleidoscopic

Dance

            Body flames

Light up iced-candle-eons

            The sun stole

From our mouths

            Moulding rainbows

In glass

Breathe, like a gentle rustle of feathers

Dreams are melting

Into slivers of moon

The dome of the Taj shakes kahkashaan

                        Millions of stars rain

                        On thin, brittle entrance

                        Of Koh-e-Kaf

Zafar’s broken syllables

                                          Hang

                                                     Sun-washed

Silence dribbles down

                       Hennaed wrists:

Calligraphy in blood

The dewy air rising from Zabarwan

                                        Wraps the

                                        Cool ivory

                                        Hands

The jingle of stars gives way

                        For a diamond to cover

                        The islets of eyes

And shakes snow off

The glow of planets

 Descends

 Tinkling

With palms rising as lotus

Sending forth murmurs

To the fajr skies

The silver-dust seals the envelope

                        That in dreams

                        You called Prayer