Buying Fish < Melinda J. Irvine

dodging rain tubs
filled with last night
my morning begins

along mud splatters
and shouts of ‘Ma’am!
“You buy? Ma’am, you buy!”

my green rubber thongs
step around two tiny girls
in freshly checked uniforms

and bits of sun shine
where there once was roof
the local fish market is alive

as I find the two ladies who
sold me fishes last week
smiling and pressing

a little extra into
the bag, saying
Suki (my special customer)