This riddle draws on the story of Los Angeles’ Sixth Street Viaduct, a $588 million bridge meant to shine as a civic landmark. Since opening in 2022, it has been repeatedly plagued by copper theft, graffiti, illegal fireworks, and street takeovers, leaving its “Ribbon of Light” arches frequently dark. Even now, with another $5 million allocated to restore its lighting system, the repairs are projected to take years. The poem captures the bridge’s brief glow and ongoing chaos, ending in the bitter irony that the massive public investment has produced a striking yet repeatedly unusable symbol of lawlessness and civic neglect.

With the Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 2028, America and the world are warned: in the city that mastered cinematic illusion, even civic order can be staged. When the Olympic cameras arrive, the arches will glow again. But don’t be fooled. As every Angeleno knows, in Los Angeles, reality can be digitally enhanced like a Main Street set on a Hollywood backlot.