Katherine Roussos

INDIAN MANGO

In Karnataka there’s a disease

called Mad Forest Syndrome because

when the forests are cut down everyone

gets sick and dies.

The government plants Eucalyptus from Australia

to suck the nutrients out of India

and spit them into global paper

like kidnapped Africans forced

to finish Columbus’ dirtywork.

In Karnataka, nurseries are gun-guarded

from farmers who would yank up young Eucalyps

and plant in their places, natives:

Mango, Jackfruit, Tamarind

refusing to believe you can eat paper.

The governor of Karnataka eats apples from Japan

not smearing his face in mango

flesh pulsing like tabla

bleeding like song

orange and lush as the sun

plummeting into water.