Cities Named Icarus

Cities of towers

Erect from the will of men,

Their wildest dreams, their fantasies;

And they rise, and they rise,

To the sky, to the sun.

 

Cities of towers

Should not be taken too lightly;

They bear the meaning we manufacture,

Resemble ourselves, our ideals,

Our mistakes, even.

 

Cities of towers

Can catch up with their creators,

When it comes to running against the clock;

These long-legged buildings

Run and run and run.

 

Cities of towers

Are not as alive as we think they are.

They slowly rot and die with us.

 

Cities of towers,

Like the fruits they harvest,

Are built

            To fall.

 

Cities of towers,

Like the monsters they create,

Are built

              To fall.

 

Cities of towers,

Like anything ephemeral,

Are built

             To fall.

 

But cities of towers,

Like a public, enduring myth,

Are beau—

                tiful.

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