Progress is a tremendous edifice-each carries his stone;
One carries words, others council, another deeds-
and day by day it raises its head higher.
Should a hurricane, a sudden swell come, the good workers rush together in a throng and defend their lost work.
Lost because each one's life is expended suffering abuse,
pains, for a future generation, that this generation may know honest happiness and long life and riches and wisdom without base sweat and servile work.
But this fabled generation will never, never live.
This work will be wrecked by its very perfection
and all their vain toil will begin anew.
Cavafy