**city Of Silk* Poem by Sadiqullah Khan

City of few lights
Candles that burned
Hardly
In many centuries
The way was for caravans
Of silk
On the edge when once
The great king had halted
Those damsels have
The black in the eyes
Contrasting
Mixing visions
Weaving threads
Of old relations
Uprooted
Aging soon
Breath in the dust
That tastes ancient
In fortified walls
Lovers and rivals
Foes and friends
Together
Doorkeepers
Turn blind eyes
For those eyes are own eyes
Burning flesh of desire
Love and longing
On charcoal in flames
With wine muted
City of silk
Preparing for another assault
On the outs of its skirts
Who shall have the heart
Throbbing and bleeding
And who the skull
The candle of the night
Behind the melody of rebeck
Has no hope
Of taking us to the dawn
7/7/2009

*Peshawar