after the riots
the streets long sticks of chocolate
drizzled with blood sticky and sweet
skullcaps now in pieces covering
drains and pebbles rid them of their sins
placards bruised and aged some
with sharper sticks stuck in bodies
bursting through bodies bodies half-open
half-closed intestines scribbled and
splattered on the streets weakly echoing
JAI HIND BHARAT MATA KI JAI JANA GANA
uteruses bloody bitten and pulled out
of their homes splayed out for
all to see burnt breasts hungry
toddlers crawl over charred teats
worry not we will milk them with
cow’s milk time to clean up the streets anyway
bring the cows bring the matas bring
ganga jal and bring your prayers
bring your badge your baton bring
your flag your language your song
we will clean up the mess worry not
we will rewrite the story of the streets
bring them all out bring the saffron bring
the soldiers let us take back what is ours
it’s time to clean up the streets
Saranya Subramanian is a writer and theatre practitioner based in Bombay. She currently works at Radio Mirchi and is a prospective MFA in Writing student at the University of San Francisco. In her free time she eats chocolate and watches Madhubala’s movies (sigh). And lastly, she writes because, well, it’s all that she can really do.
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