Great stone dragons,
Teeth like knives, wild eyes,
Guard the steps.
Thin women in black,
Solemn as mourners,
Watch us from the gates.
A guide in a tall hat
Welcomes us, bows low,
Palms against the sky.
We’ve travelled far
By boat and rail to reach this place,
This mysterious jadegreen land;
Yet even here, where many-headed gods
Once had such silent authority,
And even today the lizard Antiquity
Slithers and crawls,
The McDonald’s on the corner
Is crowded with Americans.
Jan 12
Jan 12, 2026 at 2:54 PM UTC
Great stone dragons,
Teeth like knives, wild eyes,
Guard the steps.
Thin women in black,
Solemn as mourners,
Watch us from the gates.
A guide in a tall hat
Welcomes us, bows low,
Palms against the sky.
We’ve travelled far
By boat and rail to reach this place,
This mysterious jadegreen land;
Yet even here, where many-headed gods
Once had such silent authority,
And even today the lizard Antiquity
Slithers and crawls,
The McDonald’s on the corner
Is crowded with Americans.
