Ave de Champ Elysees, Late Summer, 1999

Hemingway has gone away
and taken Paris with him.

I'd walked the streets for days and found
nothing
--save the absolute perfect croissant
with chocolate studs like jewels--
that could convince me I was in
an old world den of culture.

I went to McDonald's to see if they really
called them
Royales with cheese.
They did,
but that joke wore thin on Mickey D's #43
as I sat out front drinking coffee
in the lengthening shadow of glory
and triumph.