I.

In Venice, koi ponds,
barbed front lawns: the new frontier
of boundless wealth.

II.

even the homeless
scoff at khaki cargo shorts.
don that raw denim.

III.

not a human here
unless you’ve touched Mel Gibson’s
silver salad tongs.

IV.

even the barkeep
is more famous than you are.
this, served free with gin.

V.

You slip on the skin
of discarded fruit; at least
it is organic.

VI.

the night has risen.
can’t find a cab anymore;
Uber rules these streets.

VII.

shops that sound like food,
food that sounds like currency.
you can’t eat money.

VIII.

say, you can’t wear white
before labor day, unless
you’ve never labored.

IX.

Spruced up Vannegans
line streets like well-scrubbed mollusks,
tough to tear them off.

X.

who needs art houses?
much better to live scuff-kneed
than wrapped in plastic.