Robert Verdon, #76, El Dorado

in a street of shiny nickel

doors slammed, trams rumbled

people separate drew together

through charismatic leaders

aromatic herbs

and asthmatic chanting

hope above them hung in

dangling chains of golden names

with everyone a folk hero

leaders were dried and stacked

and stored with ceremony

in a great herbarium

and every two decades

out came the banners

for a New Revolution

out came the leaders,

or bits of their remains,

sprinkled like holy water