Joseph Campbell said
you can tell what’s most important in a society
simply by looking at the tallest buildings.
In the ancient and medieval worlds
temples and churches were the tallest buildings:
The Parthenon, Notre Dame, Chartres Cathedral,
The Temple of Athena Nike.
Then during the luxuriant times
of the Renaissance castles and ostentatious
governmental edifices imposed themselves over all else:
Himeji Castle, The Palace of Versailles,
The Kaisersaal, The Chateau of Chambord.
And today the tallest structures
are massive engineering marvels,
concrete constructions bristling with glass and steel,
buildings in which money is made and spent,
power determined, fates sealed:
World Trade Centers, The Empire State Building,
The Chrysler Building. When Joseph Campbell finished
Bill Moyers smiled his Bill Moyers’ smile,
but forgot to ask the most important question of all:
“Tell me Joe, what will the next tallest buildings be?”