Opera House

I am 72 trudging
From a bus across
Flagstones wet with
The Amazonian rain
In Manaus headed for
The old opera house
To hear a performance
In the middle of the
Amazonian Forrest,
My sister Susan is
With me not
Missing
Any item of
Significance
Cultural or for
Our survival.
The interior is
Sumptuous with
Ornate decorations
Of a baroque or
Even Rococo style,
The side and balcony
Boxes rise like the
Walls of a medieval
Fortress up and up
Towering over the chairs
On the floor where Sue
And I are watching wide
Eyed in the dim light.
I almost expect to see
A huge snake slither by
Under our chairs or
An ocelot peek out from
Behind the heavy curtains.
An opera house in the
Middle of Amazonia is
A great example of the
Juxtaposition of past
And present wealth
And poverty that
Is Brazil today.
Afterwards
We slog through
The rain back to our
Bus to our ship up
The gangway
Then to our
Cabin
Knowing a
Bit more about
The world than we
Did before we
Made this
Journey
In part
To
See the
Opera house,
In part to learn
More about ourselves.