Names by Ananya S Guha

In India it is

names that cloud

skies, open

them into wrath

blood trickles

in faces, nameless

names that pester

names that hector

names that carry

burden of centuries

love, jihad, Aurangzeb

Nehru, Bharat Mata

names that keep vigils

on holy land and cows

names that live in hollow

breath, footsteps, names

that blaspheme

names that murder.

..

What are in these

Names? Games?

lush of sunshine?

metamorphosis of rocks?

names of temples, names

of Gods, names that plunder

names that like leaves sunder

fall, smoldering into

ashen death.

..

Forgive, I do not know

all the names

but I will wrench them

from time’s clasped hands

and unearth mortal remains.

India.