Having left the great mean city, I make
shift to pretend that I am finally quit of her
Though that cannot be as long as I work.
Nevertheless let the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all
When first I met her,to my childs ear
She was an ocean of drums and tumbrils
And in my nostrils horsepiss and petrol
Nevertheless let the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all
Next, to my peering teens she was foreign
Names over winking doors, a kaleioscope
of wine and ice, of eyes and emeralds
Nevertheless let the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all
Later as a place to live in and love in,
I jockeyed her fogs and quoted Johnson
"To be tired of this is to tire of life"
Nevertheless let the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all
Then came the headshrinking war, the city
Closed in too, the people were fewer
But closer too, we were back in the womb
Nevertheless let the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all
From which, reborn into anticlimax
We endured much litter and apathy hoping
The phoenix would rise as they had promised
Nevertheless let the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all
And nobody rose, only some meaningless
Buildings and the people once more were strangers
At home with no one, sibling or friend.
Which is why now the petals fall
Fast from the flower of cities all