waiting for the bus i see the reflection of the red flag,
with its white sickle and star, float through the glass doors
of the icecream parlor on the other side, as if it were a flavor
the kids really like but the parents won't let them eat it.
on the bus a woman almost forgets to get off at her stop
busy on the phone and after she leaves the conductor
and an old man in white and white bitch about the current generation.
a force traveller painted over with a red zomato ad:
become a delivery hero join Zomato today!
i take the beach local, stand on the edge of the footboard,
and turn into a barnacle that only has eyes for lack.
a mary shrine says in tamil: here, your mother!
at the end of mambalam station a man washes himself
after soiling himself: soiling, what an earthly, natural word,
unlike shitting, which reminds one of the city for what its:
a crucifix of desire surrounded by the halo of its denial.
the shutters of the one station one product kiosks are shut.
the stations are graffitied with the initials of southern railways mazdoor union
and posters of retirement celebrations of a union leader,
shadowed by ambedkar. once i get off at chetpet and enter jagannadhapuram
i see more ambedkar and more christ and more local amman goddesses.
i peek into a typewriting class, young girls clicking away
in the fluorescent dark, and lose track of time. i take a left
from hot chips and cross a bridge over the cooum, the river
on the banks of which this city was built, now a smelly drain
where cows graze on banks of garbage. i walk onto college road,
named after the college of st. george, setup in 1812, no longer existing.
the area suddenly turns posh and soon i enter alliance francaise madras
and it's a different world (because they're rich) and they all have fancy cars
(because they're rich) and wear great clothes and look so hot (because they're rich)
and they speak in their accents (because they're rich) and kiss each other
on cheeks in greeting (because they're rich) and they watch the play
(because they're rich) and laugh at jokes and applaud (because they're rich)
and they're patrons of the arts (because they're rich) and they patronize
the people (because they're rich) and they have a good time
(because they're rich) and they keep getting richer (because they're rich).
~ ajay
22/7/2024
