She Did Not Come Poem by Asit Kumar Sanyal

It was Diwali
A festival of no-moon light
A housewife was waiting
for mother Laxmi
Keeping a naked lamp at the entry door
And another at dining space
Footprints of mother Laxmi were drawn
on the glazed tiles of the floor
from entrance to in-house mini temple
Laxmi will come this way.
Last year also she did the same thing
But mother Laxmi did not come
Last to last year also not come
And it is known to all
This year also will not
Laxmi does not come this way at all
But she waits every year like this
wearing new dress, gold ornaments
with folded hands
She hopes against hope
This year too she has the same hope
The same anticipation
Laxmi will come this way.
It's our culture
We decorate houses
with colourful electric lights from outside
And the housewives keep a lamp
at the entry door
And wait for her arrival
in the dark
It's called Diwali
our national festival.