A lw vce sd to me, But y did nt h r it-- Thre is a plce for y in mpty cty, fnd it-- But though this cty Is mpty, nd is spce, Thre is n plce for me. Yt I trvl wth y, so tht Whrver w r s hme. #city #poem #poetry

Tme pses n mtl rsts Rbr eases n mks drs Of crs nd hmes opn As if the ghst of th Wrld opnd thm wth Th fcts of tme n rlty, For t cty hds n ne in N vently bsts otwrd. #city #poem #poetry

Cts re hwn of conct irn mtl ash lme, fcts Hmns re brn of bld flsh bns skn, actns Do nt se th drnces-- Se th smlrties, I sy Y repl tht w r rslvs Bt hmn bngs smtnly. #city #poem #poetry

Yr ys re as gry as The pvemnt w wlk-- Our blshng flsh as Rd as the nw rst tht Spckls very cr in th Cty sqre, nd lke ths W hve t hnr of syng W r hmn fst nd at lst. #city #poem #poetry

For th fst hdrd dys I swt ntl it drd, n nw I am cverd wth dst-- Tn for th scnd hdrd I wdrd wt y wth our Shs brkg aprt nd y Sy tht y wd lk to hve A shwr ne lst tme. #city #poem #poetry

Cverd n soot nd dst W try to fnd ws to Cln r clths, nd thre Ar clths on th hgrs On th blcy nd y t ne I tch it, it is t dsty To wr, dap wth ge-- A rlc of hmn wdrng. #city #poem #poetry

Thre is a rdo twr Bt its oprtng rm s Vcnt, thre we st-- Nd so we try to fgre A wy to snd ot msgs I clse my ys nd I thk I hr the rdo wrkng-- Bt t s t rgng n my rs. #city #poem #poetry

We wtch the pnt pl Nd sml mtlc rst bld-- Lstng to emty bdngs As thy crmble from Uttr unusge, and as The whl cty crbles-- Swly nd qkly, by tht Msre our lv lso grws. #city #poem #poetry

Nw y tll me to lk at The pnt n the ld wll It is pling awy by yr Tch, and lso tme-- But thn y tch me on The chk nd by tme Y nd I grw clser in Th hrt of t dsrtd cty. #city #poem #poetry

Drwys wth t dr opn Nlckd, in old ptmnts Nltchd, wndw opnd By tme, nglgence-- Y nd I chse ech othr Trh ld bldngs lke ths Cllg ech thr ot by nm Wt n ne else to rply. #city #poem #poetry

Thre re n accotants N tckrs nd n meters Thre is n ne to ask Hw lg it hs evn bn-- N brth or dth crtfcte N n can tl us our ag Or wt th ag in whch W hav met ech othr. #city #poem #poetry

I hve contd th dys Untl we wld mt agn Thy r rd n thn grn-- I se y on the dsty rd Nxt to a cr that y do Nt drve, nd y re alne Nd nw I am hre wt N cr bt thrfre wt y. #city #poem #poetry

Th cty is or lbyrth Th mze of hmn dsrs A concrt csket hdng Sft nd bld flld drms-- Wndr n, or wndr ot Be brn or prsh n it Th cty is the ngl nd The rpr of our wrld. #city #poem #poetry

Evy cr whl stps Bt hmn ft nver stp Crs nd oil n hmns For fl n drction-- But hmns hv bld Nd, thy hv ech otr So, wt is or drctn-- Nr bcse w grw. #city #poem #poetry

Th wnds re cst N shdw nd mysty Thr is n ne n t strt Mb thy ll rtnd hm-- S ths thr hme, or Th otsd of th cty-- Mb tht is thr hm Or nithr bt t pst. #city #poem #poetry

W lk ver the rlng From ne bldng rf-- We can se thsnds Of bldngs, cast in A nblous gry hze Th crs n lngr rn-- So wt crts th pallr S ambtn n mmry. #city #poem #poetry

Th pg mtr fls up Nb ps t, tgh nry-- Th wtr slo fls up Nb mts it, lso nry Th pnt wtd spls-- Th abt, crt wst W lk a t pkg mtr n Y ws yr hr n t slo. #city #poem #poetry

Cmt bldgs r blt W mtl n rht ngls-- Bt rthqks d nt agr Rds r decrtd so-- Wt trfc lnes pntd Bt an rtqk d nt agr Bt w r nt ptd r blt Nature agrs wt us. #city #poem #poetry

Mny cts hv exsd But ne of y exsts Thnds of blndgs Yet n ne of thm Is imprtant alne-- As for importnce Aln we re nt ths-- Bt tgthr we re tht. #city #poem #poetry

It mks mch nse Bng blt n trn dwn But th slnce btn-- Thm is clld th cty It mks mch slce-- Bng blt n trn dwn But the nse w mke Btwn is clld y nd I. #city #poem #poetry

Th cty hs millins Bt w, re two pepl Th cty hs thnds-- Of bldngs, but we Hde aln tgthr n ne For ths is hw mny Fnlly becme ne-- Y n I mk ne wl we. #city #poem #poetry

Pllws f ngry dst Tr up a strm n t Mty rrng cty strt W rn s f s w can Ay frm the cty-- Nt t cty agn, ths Is how ftl it is-- Bt las w r nt ftl. #city #poem #poetry

We rn, th bgs tpl N by n trds us-- For f thr r n mr pl Thn th dcy of tme Wll lso chs us-- Tgh we can elde Lfe, there is n rng Frm th dth f ctis. #city #poem #poetry

Tme tcks upn tme Th brd wre fnce Kps s n, kps s ot W wr insd th cty-- Nw, w r otsd natr Nd ths plsng ilsn-- Is bcse objcts dcy Bt hmn flngs wver. #city #poem #poetry

Th scnds bcm yrs-- Btfl thngs bcm dst Mlcs thngs frm nt Slbs of concrt-- Nd w wk upn thm For w hv blt th cty Of a thsnd lbs upn Ths ne smple trth. #city #poem #poetry

Thfr as tme pses Cts mty, crs cmpl, Fctrs sp, ntrcts nd Nd hnty brk dn-- Bt lt m sy lso, tht Wtr fs ocn plts gw Frts blm gry ts grn Nd my lv fr y grws. #city #poem #poetry

I hv lwys bn a phlr Nd I hv lwys bn a pt Lng as th wrld lwys Trnd, brnd nd lng ftr Th cty ws abndnd-- It is nt esy to se it I hv n ufrm lk thm-- Nly th wrnkls atst. #city #poem #poetry

W hv md it hre-- It is qt at the tp. W hld hnds n th Oil sl, a bd shrs Or cmpny, I ak y If th clb ws wrt it-- N y se th sn setg Syng, sch is strgl. #city #poem #poetry

Th ldr ldng up t th Ol rfry rf, unsd by Th vctd poplce-- Stnd by rst nd srw Brkn by lis nd vlnc Wtch th clmb, th rd Of dsr is prls for-- Bth of us nd t wld. #city #poem #poetry

Whr hs th ctzry gn-- Tht is jst as esy t se As whr w hv gne-- Hmns r md of wtr So tht whn sme arv Sme lve, nd so t is Tht thy mst be mgr-- W mk up for thm all. #city #poem #poetry

Th swrs r n sht ver Iron ylds tht nc knw Th tmtus flw of wst-- Hmn, anml, nsct, On dy hs bcm yrs Th thrt of th cty hs Drd up, nd when th Wnd blws thrgh it-- Th cty mns ragdly. #city #poem #poetry

Th mnstr nd its vce Rtls lk a swr grte, nd Lke a ldr rng, w clmb To rch the btm of-- A hngr fl of grnld mtl Scrmng n physl frm-- W r n tht ngshd mnt Th cty rlzs it is aln. #city #poem #poetry

Y s thr s oil n yr hnds I sy tht crs cannt use it Y sd thr is mtl n yr mth I sy tht bldgs dnt nd it Y sd thr is bld n yr vns I sy tht it is nt fr bldng Nd y agr nd y sy tht Y hve hnds for fghtng I sy it is for pepl to hld. #city #poem #poetry

I knck n a cr wndw Insde thr s a bckpk If it has fd it is rtrn If it has a lve ltr thn N ne wl ver cm rd it Wh knws wht s nsd Cept th dvr nd pngr Y sy tht thy my hve Abndnd th cr bcse Thr is n gsln anmre. #city #poem #poetry

W arve at n odrs pkg grg It is flld wth crs cln nd nw Wtng wnrs wh wll nvr cme Why s it s sd to s thm thre In prfct grds prfctly prkd Tht is bcse thy re n cges Wtht brs nd nly lns of pnt Bt w hv frdm t wndr wlfly N lns of pnt n cgs of tght. #city #poem #poetry

W tlk to th grt tre f lfe Th tr f trth nd th wrld tre Th tre of lfe nd tre of dth of knowldge of lfe nd dth Y tch th trnk nd y r hrt A splntr is nw n yr skn nd I tke a lk at it bcse it is ths Tht hmn mmry wll ndure. #city #poem #poetry

Thr s ne tre in th cty cor It is lk th wrld tre or tre of lfe Rnd it r a thnd mpty bkn crs crshd by thr wn mtrl oblscenc Th trnk is chpd wth trth nd age It is glwng nd th trtps re grn A rdtng prsnc n th wd of gry Tht w hve crtd ot of concrt. #city #poem #poetry

Whr thr re pepl thre re Rts, ckrchs, fles, lce Bt if thre wr n pepl hre Thre wld be lght n clrs Threfre whn w re tgther Lt us crt lghts n clrs nd Rmbmr tht w hve lft a Cty of brkn wrlds bhnd. #city #poem #poetry

Y sy tht it is lke w hd Jst emrgd frm a swr Bt I sy tht it is lwys lk tht Whn y emrg ot of n ofce Whn y emrg ot of a grge Whn y emrg ot of a drwy W hve blt sch dread spcs Hmns d nt knw r ndrstnd Th spcs wch thy hve mde. #city #poem #poetry

W arve at the srfce It s nt esy t sy hw mny dys W hv pssd n slpng ndrgnd Bt y srtch yr rms lk a brd Y r a brd and y can fly Mny pdles of rn dt the rth It hs bn dys mnths yrs Yt w r stll nt sprted yt. #city #poem #poetry

Y sy thr is n hpe Bt I lk at y nd y re my hpe I sy thr is n fture Bt y lk at m and y sy tht Thr is a fture Lt us nt gve up nd W hld dst cverd hnds Thy re dstd bt thy re rs Nd ths wll hld us tgthr. #city #poem #poetry

Th thndr rmbls abve the ctysap It s a eulgy, for pepl nce lvd hre It s n ode, for wndrfl thngs hppnd nce It s a blld, for Y and I wr nc in lve Thre r spkrs, bt thre is n msic Thre r hdpnes, bt n ne wrs thm Thre s spce, bt thre is n snd bt us Lt us love ne nthr agn nd crt msic. #city #poem #poetry

W hve slpt for fve hrs In the blr rm unsed of A mncipl bldng unsed of A swpg captl cty unsed Nd w re sre it s tme to trvl For the lght splls n thrgh Th blr rm wndwpne, nd Smwhre or orign clls us. #city #poem #poetry

illustration by the Austrian artist Felicitas Kuhn (1926-2022)

I cll ot to y n the wldrns; into th tlphne trs, wde concrte trnks ncient rstd swge systm stms -nd my vce rsonted kldscopiclly thrgh th dimmng snlght, revivng the ftstps of a pepl hryng to wrk, frm wrk, to hme, frm hme, in a cty nce Whch no lngr hs wrk nor s hme. #poem #poetry

Th cty is a metr crtr flld wth gnrld dst, dndrf mtl Th cty is rind; n the fctries thy r prdcng nthng; for in prdcng wht thy did thy mde the cty lke ths whch bcme lke this. The asmbly lne btes itslfs tl n the bck vntully. #city #poem #poetry

Tlph pls re crsd at th hd Sgnlng Clvry; seris of crses ldng to the cty n whch th wckd nd pwrfl congrte for a deatly mss. Thr hymns spk wtht mng, nly intentn; th lnguge of the cty s a lngnge of actn: th physcs of th ambts. #city #poem #poetry

Tlphn pls dt th dstnc Tchng us hw to drw in prspctve. Tlphn pls stb the hrzn dt by dt-ngry t the snst rchng fr snrse n tt for hrs Hpy nd ngry n ltrnatn. Tlphn pls dt th hghwy Dts lstng lngr thn a hmn lfspn Countng tme nd lf s w wlk Pst ndrvn hken crs. #city #poem #poetry

Fl, fl w m to the sn; Lt us fle th mn. Can y see ethr of thm thrgh the dst? N. Can y see thm thrgh th smke? N. Can y see them thrgh th bldngs? n. But y Can see trfc lghts blnk grn and rd-sgnlng to ld crs Whch re centris mpty. #city #poem #poetry

Th grit f th concrt, hrdnd cmt Is a tstmnt to hmn ngnty, it ws invntd by th Rmns, md thm lve nd wth it w nw bry the wrld. Skn, flsh, bne, bld-all of thse r nthng Nly mtl, glos, rbr, oil r smthng. Th ecostm f lfe is nw a mch. W r crshd bnth th slb of concrt clld hmn advncmnt. #city #poem #poetry