Ship's Manifests

If variety is charming, Then this port of many cargoes That attribute possesses in a very high degree, And if "infinite," you fancy As an adjective too far goes, A pretty wide assortment in this little list you'll see.

Rice and peanuts come from China, Silk and oranges from Nippon, And—this entry keeps us guessing—Oriental merchandise, Then there's hardwood from Australia, Making floors for rugs to slip on, Gorgeous rugs of glowing color from the East, so old and wise.

Don't forget the shipments outward— Many million feet of lumber. Golden grain from fertile prairies to the Orient and U. K. Fish and apples, pulp and paper— But we can't begin to number Half the things we are exporting, so we have the right to say.

That variety is descriptive Of our multifarious cargo. And "infinite" an adjective not wholly out of place, For you know poetic license Would permit of no embargo When these words described for Shakespeare, Cleopatra's matchless grace.