aclipscomb (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} aclipscomb) wrote,@ 2005-12-23 09:16:00 |
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| Entry tags: | a-to-z, fiction |
Mythological Locations A to Z: X is for Xanadu
Mythological Locations A to Z: X is for Xanadu
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round :
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
Unfortunately, Kubla Khan did not decree that his architects file their designs and construction plans in advance with City Hall, nor did he decree that they check for underground facilities before excavating the foundations. No one checked to make sure the building was up to code, no one made sure the building didn't cross any utility easements, the TPS reports did not have cover pages, and were, in fact, never written.
In short, then, Kubla Khan might've known about wanting stately pleasure domes, but he knew jack shit about getting them built without pissing off the bureaucrats.
