New reply from Susan Katz
<p>Thank you for your exuberant and multiple submissions. I'm afraid, time constraints make it impossible for me to respond to all your poems. If you would let me know which one poem you would like me to work on with you, I will be happy to offer edits and suggestions. I do understand the desire to write and share and get feedback, but I get multiple submissions and cannot respond to more than one poem, per poet, at a time – you might want to resubmit poems – one at a time – at a later date. Again, thank you for your interest in poetry and poetladykatz.com – Susan</p>
https://poetladykatz.com/poetry-talk/happy-diwali
Original Post by Riya Jaiswal
Happy Diwali
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>A little girl</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>shining brown skin</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>hands outstretched, clenching metal coins.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>She wanted 'parle kiss me'</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>the shop-keeper busied himself.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>She stood there in silence</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>metal coins clattering in her fist,</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>her chestnut almond eyes met mine,</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>small face wandering with tight lips.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I held her gaze, locked in mine;</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>smiled and waved her a 'hii'.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Her innocent eyes flickered </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>and returned me a wave.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I must say she looked more beautiful</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>with that contrast of white teeth</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>on her bronze face.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Both of us gleamed when I said,</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>"Happy Diwali"</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>That cute lil stranger wished </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>me back in full delight</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>and that's how this story ends</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>with that girl unwrapping her sweet </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>bouncing away from the shop</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>and I sat back thinking</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>somebody smiled because of me,</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>how better this festive day can be?</em></p>