FOOTSCRAY’S TOWERS OF BABEL



In Footscray the Tower of Babel
Slowly starts to rise,
As people living on the streets
Sicken, and then start to die.

In Melbourne's west a monument
Goes up to sloth and greed,
While down below the politicians
Do nothing for those in need.

The rich demand their Icons
False idols to all that's wrong,
To hurl up in the faces
Of those struggling to carry on.

Idolatry to the wicked
To those who have too much,
A tower of concrete and glass
Hanging o'er those living rough.

But still, politicians procrastinate
Reluctant to help the poor,
Though they'll gladly spend the billions needed
To build a towering eyesore.

So the sun no longer shines
Down upon old Footscray town,
A concrete tower blocks its light
Which cannot reach to the ground.

So winter seems the how year through
As the council sits on its brains,
We live beneath this towering eyesore
And think, “Society has gone insane!”

No more can we see to the sky
With new towers springing up each day,
We live in an urban winter land
Hidden from Old Sol’s warm rays.

THE END
© Copyright 2021 Philip Roberts
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

About this poem

When I wrote this poem a few years ago I was talking about one ugly concrete tower built in the centre of Footscray. Since two more have sprung up, with three more (at least) in the planning stage. Planning permission in all cases was refused by the Maribyrnong City Council, but the Victorian State Government over-ruled them and gave permission.

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Written on 2009

Submitted by PHIL_ROBERTS on August 19, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:00 min read
3

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXA XBXB XXXX CXXX XXCD XXXX XXDX AXXX XXX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,066
Words 197
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3

Phil Roberts

I turn 65 on the 31st of January 2022. I love cats, rock music, and horror fiction and poetry more…

All Phil Roberts poems | Phil Roberts Books

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