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Dream Kitchen

Jan Chronister

A tiny girl about two years old

spots the child-sized plastic

kitchen at Goodwill,

her smile the brightest thing

I’ve seen in days.

Mom and Dad don’t share her joy,

faces clouded with worry and fear.

 

If I could speak Spanish

I might have offered to buy it

for her.

 

Will it fit in their car?

(Do they have a vehicle?)

 

Is there room for it in their house?
(Do they have a home?)

 

In my kitchen

I open a bag of romaine

picked in Florida

by migrant workers.

What will happen

when thousands disappear

from the work force?

(What will happen to them?)

License

Sonder Copyright © 2025 by the authors. All Rights Reserved.