Ian Koh
…floor by floor
window by window
until they
see ornaments to adorn bare skin:
square, triangle, diamonds,
ovals, pyramids,
the magical ornaments
dangle mysteriously atop
unnamed wearers
glinting in the sun
catching wandering eyes.
The gondola man—
a fairytale hero—
scales the sides on
some kind of quest with
a sturdy primitive tool.
Enchantment thrown with
each cast by this scraggly
wizard newly emerged from his cave.
The sky and clouds change
like world skins moving
over to the side while
indecision remains. Time
the currency from a
money printing machine
makes the jewels sparkle
like the sea. The buildings
stand out of the city because
there’s magic in the showing.