6,000 CRANES Except for the gray gritty air Beijing could be New York Except for the 6,000 cranes Beijing could be Paris Except for the million dancing night lights Everywhere a glitter, every color, design, and art Beijing could be Moscow Except for the flowers and tree-lined freeways Beijing could be Los Angeles Except for the music and walled hutong communities Beijing could be Athens Except for the fabulous Sichuan chicken Beijing could be Dallas Except for the 6 story walk-ups Beijing could be Honolūlū Except for the city of 17 million people Beijing could be home.