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Harriet Monroe - Two Capitals—1910
Work rating: Low

Moscow
White Moscow of the pearly towers, 
And golden domes for praise,
 And chiming hours! 
Red Moscow of the Kremlin walls, 
And bloody battle ways, 
And fire-scarred halls!

Beautiful Moscow brave and bright, 
Whose banners floated toward the light 
When Asia knocked at Europe`s door 
And bleeding tzars paid off our score—
 Ah, shining city, far away 
Your gaudy spires salute the day 
Like opal-hearted iris flowers 
Decking the blue transparent hours. 
Now from your seat the slim rails run 
Through Asia to the rising sun, 
Along the ancient highway made
By caravan and cavalcade.
Still East and West meet at your gate—
That Kremlin gate where once in state
Great Europe`s conqueror, seeking room,
Marched through triumphant to his doom.
Proud Moscow of barbaric tzars,
Of gorgeous crownings and dark wars,
Jewel-encrusted, rich with age,
Heir of a lordly heritage,
Look out from Ivan`s tower of bells—
See, the vast East is proud with day!
Soon to your ancient citadels
The world will march the Asian way.

White Moscow of the pearly towers. 
And golden domes for praise 
And chiming hours! 
Red Moscow of the Kremlin walls, 
And bloody battle ways 
And fire-scarred halls!

Peking
Under her yellow roofs adream 
The imperial city sleeps in state, 
While warrior nations, flags agleam, 
Come marching through her fortress gate. 
Beneath her towered wall, one by one, 
The slow contemptuous camels tread, 
And through it eager engines run 
Over the dust of ages dead. 
Peking! close bound in triple walls, 
Between the old and new she lies; 
The yellow dragon guards her halls, 
The blare of trumpets fills her skies. 
She stirs out of her age-long sleep 
By the worn temples chill and still, 
Where Sung and Ming and Mongol keep 
Their ghostly watch from hill to hill. 
Over the graves of dynasties 
The winds of dawn blow free and far— 
Heralds of hastening centuries, 
With banners flown for peace or war.

O brooding East! 
O winds of dawn!
From the night-long feast 
The kings are gone. 
What guests will come 
Down the world`s highway 
At the roil of the drum 
For the day?
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