A Slow Boat To China

I am awake in the night

As is often the case

But tonight is some different

For tonight I am shipping

You see when Dad died in 2006

I went to China

And among other things

Saw the world’s second

Largest port

The trip was useful

I left some things

On the Li River

And a few more

On the Nan Jing Road

We taxied out over the harbor in Shanghai

Winding our way

Around that loopy view

Of enormous commerce

I cannot get back there

At least not tonight

But I need to send

A few things on big ships

To a big port of call

It takes fifteen seconds

To breathe each down

And fifteen seconds

To breathe each aboard

Thus far I have loaded

Sadness

Ego

Feelings of injustice done

Craving for revenge

Anger

A vague sense of inadequacy

Hatred

And threat to self-image

I stopped by here

To file my report

A bill of lading

Now I must repair

Back to the dock

And load a few more

With any good fortune

The Slow Boat to China

Will get them to land

Then I suppose truck

And then maybe

The Qinghai-Tibet Railroad

Will get them home

As if for consolation

My midnight Yogi Tea bag says:

“Wherever you go

Go with all your heart”

I had not thought

Of going somewhere

I will consider that

Once this shipment clears