there is an island in the middle of the pacific
where one country pays another country
to keep its unwanted refugees

they thought they were fleeing one hell
and landed in another
and this time
there is really nowhere to go

and sometimes i worry that the world is too small

in that same ocean there is a stretch of trash
that follows currents across the world
bringing bags and cups and things that float
to a great caucus
the size of Texas
in the middle of nowhere

since it is no man's land
since no country governs its waters
there is no one to clean it up
you can travel for a day and follow it
and it will go on into the horizon
and there are more
in different oceans

there is a girl
who works in my bar
who can make you a mai tai
split your bill
and serve your table impeccably
who,
after hearing that the first use of the government bailout money is being spent on spa treatments for executives
and hearing me say we all need to vote
asked me
bravely
to confirm that Obama is the Republican one

the prisoners
the garbage
the unstocked minds of party girls

the state of the world's financial future

and all this came about because someone thought,
"this is a good idea"
and the guy sitting next to him said, "yaaaay... it IS!"

a camel is a racehorse designed by committee