"Cities" (1916) by H.D. (1886-1961)

Cities

Can we believe—by an effort 

comfort our hearts: 

it is not waste all this, 

not placed here in disgust, 

street after street, 

each patterned alike, 

no grace to lighten 

a single house of the hundred 

crowded into one garden-space. 

Crowded—can we believe, 

not in utter disgust, 

in ironical play— 

but the maker of cities grew faint 

with the beauty of temple 

and space before temple, 

arch upon perfect arch, 

of pillars and corridors that led out 

to strange court-yards and porches 

where sun-light stamped 

hyacinth-shadows 

black on the pavement. 

That the maker of cities grew faint 

with the splendour of palaces, 

paused while the incense-flowers 

from the incense-trees 

dropped on the marble-walk, 

thought anew, fashioned this— 

street after street alike. 

For alas, 

he had crowded the city so full 

that men could not grasp beauty, 

beauty was over them, 

through them, about them, 

no crevice unpacked with the honey, 

rare, measureless. 

So he built a new city, 

ah can we believe, not ironically 

but for new splendour 

constructed new people 

to lift through slow growth 

to a beauty unrivalled yet— 

and created new cells, 

hideous first, hideous now— 

spread larve across them, 

not honey but seething life. 

And in these dark cells, 

packed street after street, 

souls live, hideous yet— 

O disfigured, defaced, 

with no trace of the beauty 

men once held so light. 

Can we think a few old cells 

were left—we are left— 

grains of honey, 

old dust of stray pollen 

dull on our torn wings, 

we are left to recall the old streets? 

Is our task the less sweet 

that the larvae still sleep in their cells? 

Or crawl out to attack our frail strength: 

You are useless. We live. 

We await great events. 

We are spread through this earth. 

We protect our strong race. 

You are useless. 

Your cell takes the place 

of our young future strength. 

Though they sleep or wake to torment 

and wish to displace our old cells— 

thin rare gold— 

that their larve grow fat— 

is our task the less sweet? 

Though we wander about, 

find no honey of flowers in this waste, 

is our task the less sweet— 

who recall the old splendour, 

await the new beauty of cities? 

The city is peopled 

with spirits, not ghosts, O my love: 

Though they crowded between 

and usurped the kiss of my mouth 

their breath was your gift, 

their beauty, your life.