A young writer captures what Diwali feels like for him: as something that happens within his corner of the American landscape.
by Rishi Janakiram with a line from Michelle Li | illustration by Sampan Kodagali Agarwal

Rishi Janakiraman is a writer from Raleigh. He has been recognized by Scholastic Art & Writing, Bow Seat and Best of SNO. A Foyle Young Poet, he has been published in The New York Times, Dishsoap Quarterly and Sontag Mag, among others. Janakiraman serves as Polyphony Lit’s co-editor-in-chief and as the North Carolina Youth Poet Laureate. “I wrote this poem to capture what Diwali feels like for me: as something happening alongside truck stops, motel signs and small personal memories, where the holiday becomes part of the American landscape I live in.”

Sampada Kodagali Agarwal is a visual artist based in Morrisville, NC. She is a muralist and passionate educator who has spent more than 15 years exploring traditional Indian folk and tribal arts. Learn more on Instagram @ansimit.sampada.

This poem was originally published in the November 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.