Impressions of Las Vegas

I came to Vegas wondering
what the hype was all about,
and I saw some glitz and glitter
that from a distance seemed to shout,

“Here it is! It’s all for you!
You just have to come and try!”
But, beneath all that false sparkle
was a hint of a seedy lie.

Call girl cards are distributed
outside hotels cool and hip,
while the homeless huddle in cardboard tents
just a few blocks off the Strip.

Walled and guarded communities
where lush golf courses are locked,
next to run down, low rent houses
which, with desert dust, are flocked.

But, that’s not to say I wasn’t taken in
by the excitement of a show
or the lure of a casino
or the night lights all aglow.

So, some lessons to be learned here,
not all riches always gleam,
and you just can’t win your fortune
on a penny slot machine.