Redecorating

by Elaine Equi

Someone has remade this country into a combination golf course and theme park. I got on what I took to be an elevator, only instead of going up and down, it moved horizontally like one of those sidewalks in airports, traveling slowly through a landscape of surprising sights. There was a large ship with sails and rigging from another century that led to a replica of the White House done up to look like the Taj Mahal. There were manicured emerald lawns and holograms of what appeared to be exotic flowers. It was hard to tell if you were inside or outdoors. “I get it,” I said to the woman standing next to me. “It’s like being at The Met only you don’t have to walk and there isn’t any art.” When you finally did exit, you were greeted by a row of vendors with carts selling upscale junk food – giant hotdogs and burgers served with stone ground mustard and a sprinkling of finely chopped onion. They looked pretty good, and though I rarely eat meat, I was tempted to try one.