I floated along the streets of Paris
At an intersection I looked up to see
A billboard with a crisp clean U.S. military copter
And I thought: They’re recruiting here now?
When I looked to my left, at port was a Navy ship
It looked old and black and round and fat
It was three times the size of a real one

I floated along some more
At the base of the river were shipping containers
All colors, in all manner of disarray
Some dented and some rusting

I looked back
A freighter went by around a curve
Coming right at me
Threatening to run ashore

Then it turned and I could see:
Thousands more containers down river
Some neon and some flat,
Thrown there like trash
Looking like art

I flew a bit
Down river I could see
The apartment buildings
Tired outsides told of the tired inside
Below them, the cacophony of containers
All empty now
How had this happened?
Who made this to be?