by Angie Minkin
Here we are again,
an unseasonably warm day at the end of February
and San Francisco’s Alemany Farmer’s Market
bursts with early blueberries and babies,
the first pink tulips and yellow ranunculus.
A three-year-old in ruffles, her white dress tied
with a sash, smiles as she pushes her brother
in his stroller, her mama close by in case of trouble.
I imagine markets in Iran, babies and strollers,
mamas in hijabs buying dates and radishes.
Little girls playing with their brothers.
I imagine bombs and blood.
These babies.
This market.
Here we are again.
A poetry reader for The MacGuffin, Angie Minkin stands on her head for inspiration. Her poems are widely published and she is honored to be named the 2025 Passager Poet. Her chapbook, Balm for the Living, was published in 2023. She is a co-author of Season Lightly with Salt.