Miniature
Allan PetersonI saw a Shah I think
a Khan afloat on a jeweled bed
gold-fenced dispensing edicts
in his gorgeous pajamassending men with curved swords
to spread the government of luxuryI imagine his moon had an elephant
arcing nightly through emerald palms
and into the red coral trees on the horizontiny stones below carved into roses
a heaven tattooed into tapestriesI have a moon like that
never forgetting to be my sworn extravagance