The City of Angels
A Poem by Bijal Shah
Smoke and mirrors belie this land of dreams
Ugly road and streets occupied by the homeless
The promise of fame and money streams
Only accessible to a minority, the majority living in distress
I visited with high hopes, imagining a glittering haven
Yet all I could smell was rotten capitalism
Chasing anyone who could be bluffed by the media maven
Disappointed I travelled far and wide to be proved wrong, only to be filled with skepticism
The rich live in the hills, far removed from any debris of the wounded city
Their lives an oasis of luxury, peace and stardom
A strange place where classing and snobbery inspire society
A dystopia where media moguls build their kingdom
The common man feels robbed, poor and inadequate
Inspired briefly by a movie or story fabulously told
Traffic-filled streets, expensive housing and parking signs that berate
Distracting billboards and the nearby ocean leaves one temporarily consoled.
Who would have thought a city once starved of water
