Andheri Local

By Arundhathi Subramaniam

In the women’s compartment
of a Bombay local
we search
for no personal epiphanies.
Like metal licked by relentless acetylene
we are welded –
dreams, disasters,
germs, destinies,
flesh and organza,
odours and ovaries.
A thousand-limbed
million-tongued, multi-spoused
Kali on wheels.

When I descend
I could choose
to dice carrots
or dice a lover.

I postpone the latter.

© 2001, Arundhathi Subramaniam
From: On Cleaning Bookshelves
Publisher: Allied Publishers, Mumbai, 2001
ISBN: 81-7764-176-X