These two phrases are the ones that better convey an atmosphere of desolation. In this story, the narrator lives in a post-apocalyptic world, near New York City. He visits the remains of the people who lived there in the past (us), in what he calls the "City of Gods." When he sees the towers, he tells us that they are still standing, but that they are "blind," for they have no people. Moreover, the statue (most likely Washington, as its caption reads "ASHING") is shattered.
