"At the parade" [ghazal]

When an Englishy ghazal was garbed in a muzzle   at the parade
its discursive barkle made a beeline buzzle   at the parade

studious palempsests rife with inscription were pondering the shadows
on vacuous canvases eager to nuzzle   at the parade

an astute connoisseur had stooped to inquire   what was the racket?
a tennis-court volley had grown to a tussle   at the parade

a dairyland merchant was hawking his dreams   "sweet and nutritious!"
a sculptured ascetic showed scrupulous muscle   at the parade

old Odin was present and crooning an ode!   who would have thunk it?
was a sloe-eyed gazelle making fast with a ghazal   at the parade?

"Farsi Urdu only!" a purist was preaching   children peeled laughter
the pucca reproval provoked no reprisal   at the parade

a blithe Orientalist brandished a garland   in lieu of a lariat
he lasso'd a lass by a threshold of miseltoe   at the parade

a Victorian princess was swooning on schedule   the poets applauded
one wag dubbed her costume more bustle than hustle   at the parade

a taciturn monk was cooing a mantram   in lotus position
proponents of doodle met dweebs of discussle   at the parade

a zealot of limericks was poised to deliver his grand manifesto
the haiku practitioners put mortar to pestle   at the parade

the is and the will-be were lost in the has-been   nostalgia ran rampant
an Island of Is-le in an Ocean of Was-le   at the parade

I couldn't determine what virgule or vermin his booth was purveying
but that boy Raphael was enjoying a guzzle   at the parade