Hôtel de Ville

The kids should visit a history museum

in their senior year, to understand disgrace as

one form of Clinton’s victory. On the other hand

the European Community foreign debt gives

everybody bad dreams. So we do need to solve

the problem of students reading difficult things

that will lead them astray: why did Rimbaud

turn from socialism to capitalism? As if

it matters. He is his own consolation prize.

We’d be delighted to have his uniform.

We want to see all the modern art stuff, too.

Thank you. Press the button marked “monument”

and see what happens: a recorded voice says

“I have wasted my life,” and we pay to listen.