Winner | RTF Poem Writing Competition May 2021
Category: Poem: Complex Pasts – Diverse Futures
Participant: Richa Malhotra
Profession: Architect
City: Mumbai
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An Architectural Odyssey
Let us turn back in time,
To see the shift in paradigm,
Open the gates to the rustic past,
A heritage palace awaits your cast.
Arched windows that you stand by,
Overlooks a temple touching the sky,
Sculptures adorning this structure of stone,
Verasara, Dravidian or Nagara, in all it shone.
Beyond the fortress, are trees till you gaze,
Inside lies a garden kissed with sun rays,
Love, Death, Victory and Power,
Classical themes seen in every tower.
A glorious architectural era has passed,
And all the knowledge we have amassed,
Some to be rendered and precast,
While some in future blueprints and drafts.
Vernacular, eco-friendly and smart,
Sustainability being the concept at heart,
Wood, glass and recycled plastic,
Making the environment look fantastic!
Floating cities clouded with drones,
Diverse forms that have never been known,
Byzantine, Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque,
To technological, modern, minimal and woke!
From symmetry, golden ratios and handmade tools,
To designs as per locale and government rules,
From pencils, sketches, and drafting on sheets,
To keyboards and softwares where 3D prints meet.
The beautiful compositions – both ancient and new,
Harmony of space and void, and senses they pursue,
From caves to skyscrapers is long-long way,
And more is to come, that’s all there is to say!