On the Hills Where Once the Towns Had Been

It's happened before. It's happened often.
Human populations build to a point
When densities later unthinkable
Carpet the prime ground, and then we collapse.
That big arc of the local narrative
Remains forever too small, forever
Too grand. Civilization doesn't end.
Individual lives end, end, and end.
Later lives can't comprehend why pastures
Drowse on the hills where once the towns had been.