Meditations on Great Babylon

Great Babylon’s dominion ranges

Over this extensive globe.

Upwards into the ethereal sky

Her golden towers glitteringly probe.

In those towers her clever people

Create symphony and intricate dance;

On her bridges and in her halls are stories

To delight, entertain and entrance.

On her walls is art amazing to look upon

All offering praise to great Babylon.

Great Babylon’s wealth defies belief.

 Glistening robots swarm all around

And for every large or trivial task

 Dutiful mechanical slaves abound.

No famine or drought enters her walls.

Through her gates food flows never cease

And through indolence, plenty and lack of work

Her privileged grow fat and dull with ease.

Through objective eyes it is sad to look upon

The corrupting opulence of great Babylon.

Great Babylon’s high and beautiful walls,

Though an inert mixture of glaze and mud

Cry out in sorrow to ears that can hear

For they are built on injustice and blood.

The sword has swung where it has pleased

In the pursuit of glory and wealth;

Businesses have done their stealing too

And their plundering has been by stealth.

In bas-relief for all to look upon

Is the violent history of great Babylon.

Great Babylon’s criers spread their news;

A wall collapses and kills a child;

Look, a severed hand; see, a blood stained dress,

For great Babylon’s world is fierce and wild.

There is weeping, wailing and grieving too

From sickness, blind fate and violent crime,

Great wells of suffering too deep for speech,

Sorrow and loss that can’t be washed by time.

O sad, too sad to pause and think upon

The grieving hearts of great Babylon.

Great Babylon’s privileged love to think

That their city will last forever

Along with their families, their safe lives,

And most of all, their much loved treasure.

They will continue to plunder and strive,

To use the whole world like a quarry,

To poison the air, the rivers and land

And never have any need to worry.

It is a terrible thing to look upon

The complacent greed ruling great Babylon.

Great Babylon’s kings strut upon their stage

To oppress and favour where they choose;

The vote gets its day to exercise power

But the media pick who will win or lose.

In this struggle to be king for a day,

This ruthless, selfish, pitiless strife,

This dominion of lies led by great lust,

All citizens forget the primary ruler of life:

Behold, all citizens, and gaze upon

Death as the real King of great Babylon.

O Babylon, you flawed and beautiful thing,

With your love for family and hate for foe,

Your quest for great knowledge, your ignorant heart,

Your concepts of justice, your history of woe,

Your searching for truth, your world of great lies,

Your mysteries, secrets, blaming of fate,

Your tears, your laughter, your sadly flawed heart,

To the innumerable poor your locking of gate:

O citizens, weep as you think upon

The dark paradoxes of great Babylon.

Babylon, I have seen your towers crumble,

The dispersing wind upon the sand,

Heard the shouts and seen the tumult

Ending the proud, flawed reign of man;

Seen Christ the King return in great glory,

Conquer all foes and rule for the poor,

Mend broken hearts and wipe away tears,

Until sorrow is gone and Death is no more,

So now in awe I meditate upon

The wind- vanquished walls of great Babylon.