Saranya Subramanian - Writing For Peace

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.