The Pyramids of Detroit

71 words [1]

The silverfish climb walls
and crawl the faded floors;
eat peeled wallpaper, balls
of lint in broken drawers;

across veneer, find pairs
of thick and chipped wenge legs,
art deco chaise lounge chairs,
upholstery now in rags.

And under the gold transom,
the stained glass, bas-reliefs
of pelicans held in ransom—
enter and exit thieves—

three archeologists:
Jamal, Kordell, and Floyd
who count on their proud lists
Zimbabwe and Detroit.

9 July 2017