The ladder was a great way to get attention, introduce things, and hit the ground running. The vague statements that were before that scene could be moved, cut, or significantly reduced down to the best parts as they mainly provided unclear bloat that lacked context.
Bonus points for a "magic" system that felt original and dangerous.
The most memorable part of the poetry for me was the imagery of the hand with too many fingers reaching skywards. A very cool way to describe the tall buildings of the city imo.
The foreshadowing isn't a bad idea, but it felt like it overstayed its welcome. The star crossed lovers intro from Romeo and Juliet comes to mind as how much keeps the reader's attention span. At the very least I suggest labeling it as a prolog so people have a clear expectation that what they're reading is directed at them rather then a character in the story.