The World's Largest Democracy

Pretty paper banners
fluttering in the street,
Smiling faces, nailed-in grins,
at every corner meet.
Oh! It is that time again
to make a chump of reason.
Brace yourself and prepare
for 'tis election season.
Oranges dressed as saffron,
greens and whites shining
Kites, palms and lotuses
up the streets are lining.
Don't forget brand new brooms,
old elephants and things
and all the random symbols
this lovely season brings.
Candidates come to larger-than-life,
each pose in mint condition,
desirable by patronage,
illustrious by omission.
Come all ye faithful
begin the ritual cleaning
of ideas and ideals and
reflections of great meaning.
Let us pretend for now
that we know what's going on
who does what, with whom, and why,
(for how much) and so on.
Hurry up now, Indians all,
time to take a stand!
Despite ideologies, you know,
the value's in the brand.
Let the voting force march out,
kingmakers that we are,
Get that ink-spot and revel
in the utterly bizarre
conviction that, this time, justice
in some sense has been done
And then insist, 2-years-post,
that the biggest conman won.