Replicas

In the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas,

Walking through an exact copy of the Doge’s Palace,

But better, more up-to-date,

I thank God I live in these times.

And in the Paris Hotel Casino

I stroll down the cobbled sidewalks

And look up at the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

Meanwhile,Luxor is just around the corner,

With the Pyramids

And King Tut’s tomb.

It is all so convenient.

No unnecessary travel.No mess.

A Japanese pagoda stands right next to the Trevi Fountain.

The Statue of Liberty’s outstretched arm

Points towards a massive medieval castle,

With a Sphinx behind.

The Venetian canals have been repainted again and again

To give them exactly the right blue;

The striped poles  lean with precise verisimilitude

As if they had spent centuries sinking into the Adriatic mud.

The neon fires of the Strip stretch away

Into black desolation.

I thank God I live in these times.