Hello, Glenn,
Thanks again for your attentive read and thoughtful comments!
- On Jatayu: Yes, fair point! The poem includes a glossary that I chose not to post to avoid overloading readers, but perhaps I’ll include it after all if there’s enough interest. Jatayu is the noble eagle from the Ramayana who tried to rescue Sita from abduction—he died in the attempt, and that’s what’s being evoked in that line.
- I do scan that S1L3 as iambic pentameter, with trochaic to spondaic substitution:
Like GA|ruDA’S |BROOD CLAIM|ing HEA|ven’s THRONE.
- Similarly, for “minaret prayers,” I’m reading it as a feminine line with slight stress variation—with promotion/demotion within ‘minaret’ and relative to ‘prayers’:
Her SPI|rit SOARS| beYOND| miNA|ret PRAY|ers.
- The extra syllable in S2L4 is indeed an anapestic substitution at the line’s start—though I’m still mulling over your version for its flow.
As for the mix of Hindu and Muslim imagery: yes, that’s absolutely intentional. Jama Masjid and the Old Delhi area it inhabits have long been a place where Indo-Islamic architecture, rituals, and daily life intermingle with Hindu traditions. One sees this in the bustling alleys surrounding the mosque—where Hindu temples stand near Mughal mosques, and where languages, music, cuisine, and even fashion reflect a rich shared heritage. While tensions have certainly existed historically (and reached tragic peaks during Partition), the poem gestures toward a spiritual and cultural intersection that continues to define much of Delhi’s historical core.
Really appreciate your engaged and generous reading!
Cheers,
…Alex
Threaded Mode
