Miles to go
from the sidewalk cafe
after two cups of
cafe au lait
walking Paris
from
Notre Dame to Sacre Coeur
Saint Chapelle
the Pantheon
stopping at a boulangerie
to buy bread
for the day
the musees
Rodin
Pompidou
Cluny
Picasso
the Louvre
and D'Orsay
the Arc de Triomph
Bastille Day
and fireworks
along the Seine
with
far too many people
pressed
close together
a full moon
visible
between the legs of
the Eiffel Tower
buying great cheese
and delicious
inexpensive wine
before visiting
the French opus
on excess
to which we shuttle
on metro and bus
Versailles
made me bilious
though
its gardens provided
a respite
the solitary fox
seen
down
a tree lined lane
more appealing than
the surfeit of
self congratulation
by men and women
so pleased
with themselves
they
brought their country
to its knees
the occasion shared
with family and friends.
