bright lights full of bugs
that are agitated by the
noise and the smell
one car after another
showing the owners
life story
puddles and stains
of cigarette butts,
spit, and God knows what
shopping carts
line out an obstacle course
for tired people
kids are bouncing and yelling,
seeing the world
they miss on school nights
people overload trunks
with white plastic bags full
of what they need and don't need
this is, indeed, the
21st century
version of the Colosseum