You walk into the market
dressed in Eliza's 2T overalls
holding tightly my finger:
late morning, early fall.

We pause
for 50cents of sweet corn,
for red onions and bell peppers,
as the aisles swirl
with retirees and moms with kids.

We can afford to linger,
to weigh the advantages:
sweet or hot Italian sausage,
Canadian sharp cheddar,
or Vermont.

Tanzi in deli
calls out, "Her socks match her shirt!
Did your wife dress her?"
Kevin stocking dry goods,
"She's growing fast."

We wait in line for the checker
who we know will say,
"You're such an Irish lass"
and give you a piece of red tape.

I'll make our favorite
one pot meal. It's not hard
when you have the ingredients,
take the time to taste the broth,
trust it will come out right.

Copyright @2000 Tom Harris