Flowers were air dropped by a Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter at the annual Nallur Kovil’s Chariot Festival– A news report
Dusty margosa leaves
motionless & indolent
Even noisy crickets have silent nights
The nation, being kept down,
walks with their head down;
government soldiers guarding –
with heavy boots & dull tanned guns
Vicious memories keep beating.
I can still see fleeting smoke
at the hot tip of AK-47s
Agonizing pain floats over the road
under the shadow of lord Murugan
Devotees parade on bare feet,
whispering the sorrow of the dead ones
As chopper engines rumble,
over the kovil’s gopuram,
the fear haunts.
I hear the sound of spraying bullets
I grab my toddlers, lie down and crawl
Helicopters hovering
Steel fan blades making sudden whirlwinds
Hearts start pleading
The vel chariot slows down. Then stops.
..But,
it is only a rain of rose petals,
soldiers throw handfuls out
with peculiar chuckles
I smell the blood on little ones-
soft rose petals… I collect them all
The northern sky is soaked in evening red
as the last rose petal touches the ground
The job is done - war choppers leave
With flying kisses, uniformed soldiers wave
Someone yells “let’s move on”
“Give my sweet angels back
Give my little roses back”
… I screamed