Announce the Morning. Yes
by going about Your day. Yes
raise Your well-rested Flesh,
dress It & take It to Café Colao.

Note the warmth in warmth.
Note the Sun & Clouds.
Note the Bus Driver & His 
solemn, stoic face. Note 

the patience it takes to wait 
for the walk sign to turn white.
Note the Woman as You enter,
whose car has gone missing

& praise the nice Man 
behind the counter, comforting.
Note the influx of regulars:
Arturo, Felipe, & Maria

as You enter Their atmospheres.
Praise Their secret pains, note 
that within these walls,
in the swell of confections

& beans roasting, Someone here 
may be suffering this Morning. 
Turn now Your focus 
to the sweetness in Your mouth 

of the guayaba spilling out
like thick blood shedding the Day. 
Listen for the word Amor 
hear the phrase “have a good

Day” & let it be enough. Yes
note, yes, announce this Morning.
By going about Our days. Praise 
Us all who, yes, woke up Today.

– Dom Blanco

Author’s Note: “Humboldt Park” is part of the manuscript Inside The Infrastructure (honorable mention for the 2024 Homebound Poetry Prize, longlisted for the 2025 Glass Chapbook Series, and recognized with affirmation and encouragement from Frontier Poetry for the 2024 Debut Chapbook Prize). The manuscript adopts a phenomenological lens to explore human perception and experience. It delves into the universal theme of visibility—how we are seen and how we see ourselves—by immersing readers in vivid portrayals of working-class environments. By getting rid of ambiguity and embracing a democratic poetics, the collection seeks to offer an accessible, intimate reflection on life within confined spaces.