The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.
-Churchill, Harvard, 1943
All the battleships have sailed into history
Grandpa’s medals can be bought at garage sales
Generals are misplaced strands of DNA
And coastal batteries serve as seaside parks
We look through microscopes now, not starlight scopes
Write verses that scan and computer codes that heal
Build hospitals and roads, and housing for the poor
Fund orchestras, vaccinations, and scholarships
Which doesn’t explain why, this late in history
A dying old man with his withering hands
Greedily grabs and grasps for others’ lands