There is a screen in front of each of us, a bell of light
moving over the map of the world, shadow to either side.
Green land, blue sea, silver plane, red route. We’re all in the dark
now, the bell of light has swung from east to west.
Europe and Africa are sleeping, America is awake.
When America sleeps, light will rise in Asia.
On one screen, Depardieu discovers books.
On another, some jerk is batting Julia Roberts around.
Someone’s always finding illumination.
Someone’s always bringing down the dark.
Beside me, he stretches his mouth and waves his hands in the air
like a child freed at last from school, levitating with joy.
Astonishing! This massive metal bird that carries us over America,
Greenland, Iceland, the vast Atlantic, British Isles and France.
A line of red gold shimmers at the place where sky meets earth.
We’ve shed years of weight to arrive in the City of Light,
flying into dawn,
our hearts birds of delight.
2-19-2011, Paris
Street art (c) 2011, Jérôme Mesnager