Poem: Purpose

PURPOSE

Fire from a distant star;

Light from amber’s spark,

Amidst these radiances I shall wake

To alter the world for progress’ sake.

Stone shoulders I may not have;

Let the power of my spirit alone

Answer the weight I carry,

Beyond the decades shall stand unweary.

(Written on November 29, 1982. Originally untitled, the poem was the opening verses for my BSCE college thesis titled “Flat Slab: Building Without Beams.” Notice the first letter of each line spells F L A T S L A B.)

The “flat slab” is a reinforced concrete slab floor supported directly by the columns without intermediate beams or girders.

 

“To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” – The Letter to the Hebrew 11:1, The Good News Bible in Today’s English Version.