Citadel Poem by Paul Butters

The sludge and slime of the stinking sewer
A black-hole chasm of putrid waste;
All choked with rubbish and mangled condoms
And vomit-smeared turds all licked by swarming flies.
This steaming stench surrounds the scabby, squeaking rats
And rots the fungus-ridden, parasitic,
Tangled undergrowth.

Yet up above,
Upon the shiny pavement,
The shining towers are rising high
Into the starry sky.
All beacons beautifully adorned and carved
With images of Gods and Kings.
All basking in the summer sun.

Metropolis mantled by leafy-lane promenades:
Palatial beauty surrounded by homely homes.
A monument to Mankind’s greatness
A jewelled crown fresh-risen amongst
The ancient workings of a long-gone breed.


(Notes: Written and © PB 1\3\2008) .