Courts of the Dead

Falaknuma Court,

   once a lakebed, 

   now a Taj for snakes.
   

Court of kraits,
   thieves coiled in dust.

A courtier's gold-inlaid dagger
   rusts in a desk drawer.

A wasteland de-courted.
   No one could afford you.

Court of Shahs, 

Court of Nizams,
Court of Nawabs .

Beggar court.

Lepers court,
court of locusts,

court of crows, 

court of kites.
Dog court.
Barren brahmin cow court.
Court of skulls.

Udaipur court princes riding flames to the chhattri,
   wife's silent suttee joining.

Horse guts into the Court of Allah,
Jaipur Court, 'Hai Hai!"

The courtiers followed on,
thrown onto their lord's sword,
elephant ivory hacked from heads,
charred mistress smiles,
flames of brush and ghee.

A court for dead songstresses,
Fatehpur's mute dessert, sweet memories,

A sandstone court of sand.
   a court for old courtyards,
   and the Durbar courts therein.

A fast falcon court, hooded, alert.

Poet court, closed, a dream shriveled by thirst,
   parched from land and courtly love.

Your Urdu courtier's flourishes,

   Letters, poems, silk languages,
   are now a howling radio court.

Even a small insect thirsts
   for a courtly drop of dew.