Ur

Not even the shadow of its massive brick walls Stands sentinel over the place where Ur once stood; Gone the sound of trumpets in the banqueting halls, Long decayed the temples framed in fragrant woods. Its proud people, among the first of our race To gather together to build a city Held this earth itself as a sacred place Where they prayed to their gods for succor and pity. By night the moon, by day the sun Gods both, smiled down upon their fertile land. The festivals of the seasons passed, one by one Atonements offered, exploits planned. Now Enlil alone, god of the Winds Holds court amid acres of broken stones. As Ur's glory fades and its memory dims, As scholars pick over the last of its bones.