What Are Cities For?

The earth has covered Sicilian Syracuse, there asphodel grows,
As golden-rod will over New York.
What tragic labors, passions, oppressions, cruelties and courage
Reared the great city. Nothing remains
But stones and a memory haunting the fields of returning asphodel.
You have seen through the trick to the beauty;
If we all saw through it, the trick would hardly entice us and
the earth
Be the poorer by many beautiful agonies.