I’ve never written poetry before. I just thought I ought to try. The photo underneath is unrelated, but I took it last night and thought it was pretty!
–
Evoke love and conjure desire, elicit tears and laughter inspire, craft dreams and banish doubt.
It is from within the desolate plains of mundane that the artist’s seed and culture sprout.
Bunsen and bellows both brazen and bold,
Latent and chemical and forms untold,
Exploited, excited,
Molded, contorted,
Bent to this engineer’s will.
Were it not for the artist,
Plain it would remain.
Were it not for the engineer,
What would we have,
Coal, ocher, fire, spear?
Forged through time, forever entwined,
Twins in kind, differing only in method,
Same in soul, a parity in purpose,
Art and engineering.
–
Rachel
Aug 17, 2009
*claps* Very good Mr. S.
Jo
Aug 17, 2009
WOW, both poem and photo are AMAZING!
Well done!!!
Abi
Aug 17, 2009
I liked the way that both of these turned out and don’t think the poem needed “something else”, at all..
Although I have to read it aloud (in that booming voice-of-God) and suggest that others do the same. But I guess that is true of nearly all poetry.
sebastian
Aug 17, 2009
Thanks, the lot’a ya! I thought about reading it out, PODCAST style. I’ll think about it…!
I’m not sure if people are quite ready for the Booming Voice of God-Seb.
Sian Sburys
Aug 17, 2009
I liked it. It was
good. Podcast please. We are
ready. Yes we are
sebastian
Aug 17, 2009
Great line
Breaks not sure
If they really ADD
ANYTHING to your little poem of
Kindness.
Lonely.
Sian Sburys
Aug 17, 2009
oh right thanks for that
i tried very hard you know
you are quite mean
sebastian
Aug 17, 2009
I had forgotten
With regard to women
That they can be,
Oh so,
Mightily,
Sensitive.
timoteo
Aug 17, 2009
I see we’re back on the artist and engineer, nice. I like the angle you took on this one. Have you ever tried haiku?
sebastian
Aug 17, 2009
I started off with a few random thoughts/words, and it just went from there. I guess it’s still on my mind…!
I’ve never tried poetry or haiku or anything like that before. I did some creative writing when I was about 15 or so, some short stories, otherwise everything on this blog is ‘new’ as of this year.
Reawakening some muscles it would seem…!
Liz
Aug 17, 2009
It is pretty!
sebastian
Aug 17, 2009
A high blessing indeed from thine esteemed grumpiness!
golublog
Aug 17, 2009
I like the mix of science and art.
the girl in stiletto
Aug 17, 2009
i’d love to hear you recite the poem.
a la vlog cuz i want to enjoy the facial expressions and perhaps some dress up too?
miss rambles
Aug 17, 2009
i like both the poem and pic. ur sooo talented **am jealous**
sebastian
Aug 17, 2009
But which side do you fall on, Miss Golu?
I think I’m going to have to recite it then! But probably just audio, not video. I want to buy a proper video camera before I do more vlogs! I feel high quality video is important for my successful global take-over.
(Thank you, Rambles!)
Eleni
Aug 18, 2009
Love the photo! How does nature paint such colors? (Photoshop?
)
Nice poem, too. Engineering and art, function and form, efficiency and elegance… This reminds me of an engineering class I took in college. There are people who design buildings and bridges that are both functional and beautiful. Heinz Isler, Felix Candela, Christian Menn, etc. Perhaps not what you’re going for. Just a thought.
sebastian
Aug 18, 2009
Yar, architecture is the obvious cross-over discipline, but I don’t think many architects actually think of ‘new ways’ of spanning a gap or defying gravity. I thought that was primarily the role of the structural engineer, and material scientists — carbon fibre, reinforced steel, etc. I could be wrong though!
That photo’s actually very close to the original. It’s just a very long exposure, so a lot of the pale shades come out. It was a lot more understated to the naked eye.
But then, that’s what photography is about
chinkygirlmel
Aug 18, 2009
ooo standing ovation and round of applause for you. and you mentioned this is your first poem? ah…it can’t be. you’re a pro. =)
sebastian
Aug 18, 2009
I possibly wrote something when I was younger, but I don’t think so. More the one-page short stories that kind of went no where, or went EVERYWHERE in a very short span of time — you know the kind
Thank you. I’m surely not a pro, but I probably have a lot more experience with words than most amateur poets!
Meandering Mel
Aug 18, 2009
Very nice
Much much better than any poetry I tried to produce when I was in high school. 
You’re photo, as you’re well aware, is stunning!
sebastian
Aug 18, 2009
Well, my understanding of English is thankfully above high school level…! Or it might’ve been a wholly less pleasant experience for you… and I…
Thanks
MinD
Aug 19, 2009
That was your first time (that’s what she said)?? Nicely done darlin’!! I’m so proud of you.
Eleni
Aug 19, 2009
No, the point is that those people I listed are not architects–they’re engineers. You don’t want an architect designing your thin-shelled roof (see the Kresge Auditorium at MIT… OK I’m having trouble finding anything written about the Kresge Auditorium troubles; the story is just that the architect had this great idea of a roof shaped like 1/8 of a sphere touching the ground at 3 points, but once constructed the building had to be repaired on multiple occasions and needed extra supports added, marring the elegance of the design and costing more money and resources and building closures than should have been necessary). And architects should definitely have nothing to do with your big suspension bridge. For these large structures, you should have a structural engineer doing your design. Some structural engineers ignore aesthetics, of course (that is probably the stereotype), but some make really cool-looking things, like the Brooklyn Bridge or the Eiffel Tower, all while solving problems in new and better ways.
For example, Heinz Isler came up with a new technique for designing thin-shelled roofs, allowing him to create structurally sound buildings with large, unobstructed interiors using fewer resources (including money) than previously required. And his designs are beautiful, too. An engineer trying to win a contract for a bridge has to make a design that is functional, makes efficient use of resources, and is aesthetically pleasing in order to be selected.
I should mention that freshman year in college I was on track to becoming a structural engineer, but then decided it wasn’t for me. It’s not for everyone, I’m not saying you should do it, I just wanted to clarify the point I was trying to make: It’s structural engineering, not architecture, that’s the crossover discipline. (Though due to my background explained above, I may have a biased view here