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.
