Flower Slab Market Dawn in Duékoué

Pale silver dawn light spills across a wooden slab where cut flowers lie in tight, colorful clusters beside a fish counter in Duékoué. The cool season air hangs heavy with spice dust under rough tarps, settling on the wet scales of nearby fish and the velvet petals. Vendors in layered cotton shirts stand shoulder to shoulder, their hands busy arranging stems against the gray morning. Rough wood grain shows through water stains and red clay dust. Shadows stretch long across the concrete floor, ending at a single red hibiscus resting on a pile of green leaves.