The Slums of Atlantis

after G. Sutton Breiding
 
The slums of Atlantis
are no different
from any other slums,
except they stand
in the perfect shadow
of harmony complete.
 
The dogs on the streets
of the slums of Atlantis
are no different
from any other dogs,
except their barks
have been stolen
for the heady dialogues
of Philosopher-Kings.
 
The waters that reach
the gutters of the streets
of the slums of Atlantis
are no different
from any other waters,
except they trickle down
from marble colonnades,
divinely sculpted statues,
and immaculate bas-reliefs
of a beauty supreme.

Those who live and die
in the ramshackle houses
that line the streets
of the slums of Atlantis
are no different
from any exploited breed,
except their necks are
cricked and their eyes are
hard and their thoughts are
mean from ever looking up
to a sublime utopian ideal
they will never achieve.

(First appeared in author's collection Shades Fantastic)