Noruz pt II

Lale Devri


A tulip grew in Tehran
on Haltamti soil at the base of the Alborzi
Saoshyant in slumber

occident florists plucked her
frosted her with opium poppies
stewed in Iranian Farsi funk
electric sitars, heavy tonbaks
potting her in american soil

on Ashura turned her back to Husayn
left rosewater tears in the shallows of knife fissures
Shi'a had no sight of
Allah
everyday Azadar

green peach aphid nestling on her back
expected her to
aspirate
assimilate

soil made her into a unique tulip
striped feathered flame petals
variegated
where she grew in
punk rock and roll gravel
saturated in new waves
sol kissed roots tapped with break beats

forswore off of fish
fowl pork beef
off all meat
instead took sustenance from pardesu

socialist fiesta fashionista
a soft enigma throwing clay in labyrinth kilns
skating fluid Nasta'liq punctuated with dusty cuneiform
feet stained copper with henna latices

psych-pharmaceutical-inner-naut
herbal mental expansionist who
ate electric mushrooms, churned cannabutter, powdered her nose on the inside,
through shabu saw the world in digital
misty third eye
riding crocheted carpets cresting clouds
spoke smoke ghazals through hookahs

Fatima Zahra ushering women with her gentle khamsax
Oureana to Fatima left Gonçalo Hermigues in Moorish Portugalxi
Fatima Blush her body perfumed gardens
greatest rapture in life

her crushed fig brown sugar saucer eyes 1001 vellum persian miniatures
salamati




Pretty Purdah

just
her voice
hood hoops dangling

earrings
just her
secluded pretty purdah

neck
naked tresses
wrapped in fabric

she
won't permit
a stolen glance