portion of the artwork for Carol Everett Adams's poetry

The Persistence of World Showcase
Carol Everett Adams

—The southern half of Walt Disney World’s EPCOT

World Showcase was an afterthought
shaped like a melting watch.
Its countries weep lost numerals
and starve by a Walt-made lake.

France still displays its wares: disdain,
perfume, Camembert cheese,
which oozes through the arched entrance of
China, who holds fast to the 10 o’clock position.

China won’t share with Walt’s U.K.
where the only dish is fish ‘n’ chips.
Canada’s a journey in Circle-Vision.
Walt gave up on Equatorial Africa,

but it mustn’t feel bad—everyone
gave up on Mexico, left Grumpy
mumbling in his tequila, Sleepy
snoozing in perpetual twilight.

Cinderella tends to giggle,
flash her blood-diamond watch.
Snow White skips by each night,
brings her pail to the wishing well,

pulls up authentic German beer,
brushes ants off the rim.


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FRiGG: A Magazine of Fiction and Poetry | Issue 54 | Fall/Winter 2019