DC: The Mall, The Capitol

"What did you see in Washington DC?"
"The sidewalk in sun and shade."
A silly answer. But why are we
looking at this painting?

"What a fine autumn day! we say,
noting bright sky, fiery trees,
capitol dome floating to the top
as light as rich cream, but not

at our feet a sea of purple-streaked
sun-molten gold flaring to platinum.

Sidewalks are supposed to take us
somewhere else (to corridors of power,
hovering afar like a meringue mirage,
realms of gold, peaks in Darien...)

If we found realms of gold and amethyst
at our feet, why would we want to go
anywhere else?
Dean Blehert