Kishori Amonkar

You sang
and others felt thirsty all night

Dasi teri janam janam ki...

All the weathers of the heart
voiced:
Aquiline nose / flashing eyes
Rustle of rust saree

Watch discarded
and with it all pretension
to stand revealed
before all        a temperament...

Throwing away all for audience:
At my throat an old scarf
for wrapping used love-letters
Behind you        discipleship

And in your eye
the rain of god's mercy        Nainaré barsé
The mercy of Ahir Bhairav
And outside the hall
                    the dawn...