Sitting in the bar on a slow night,
a young robotics engineer from Europe
attending graduate school in Pittsburgh,
lamented about American politics.
"I don't know what's going to happen,"
he said. "There’s nothing we can do."
"Wait a minute," I said.
“Aren't you developing vertical farming technology?"
"Yes, that's right."
"So the poor can feed themselves?"
"Definitely.”
"Sounds to me that you’re doing plenty."
The young friend didn't reply,
and instead took a pull from his beer.
A minute later he laughed hard
at something on the television.
He wore a permanent smile
for the rest of the night.