Survival (By Devika Mathur) [And Apologies from Chris]

Prayers come to me naturally

With almost every gasp my mother takes,

with the fall of curved tint of autumn leaf

Prayers reside in my tarnished body

A temple with no bells,

I chant ‘mantras’ and pray for chipped aesthetics

to soothe a punctured breath,

a column of swollen people with hopeless tongues.

I pray like a maniac

/ a river full of luminescent screams/

peels of departure, arrival, all held in my womb.

I pray – for chasing a velvet sky

to bury a dead, a sin of heavied bodies:

Scented duplex system of cries

So I pray even more,

Mornings/ afternoons/ evenings/ night

As I lay asleep,

As I walk

As I eat.

I pray to end the humming dark landscapes

scattered like a vintage haunted manor.

Prayes are humans now.

We accept it and pray yet again.

Endlessly.

Beautifully.

Author’s Note: I hope my piece finds a home in your mind and soul.

Chris’ Note: My apologies for not posting this on time, Devika Mathur! I have been without internet for the last 41 days, and unfortunately it is hard for me to edit posts on WordPress on my phone. For all the readers out there, Devika Mathur requested this be posted on Monday the 15th at 9:00 A.M. IST (which is 10:00 P.M. EST; it’s very heartwarming to have readers outside of the USA!) and due to my previously mentioned lack of internet, I was unable to make this a reality.

Again, sorry, my apologies, and hopefully now that I’ve (finally) moved into my apartment, I will be more consistent!