A City Tour

 

                                        

                              

                     

                                 

                           

 

                   

       

1.    The guide was a learned person and a friendly one

A polyglot he was with a gentle sense of fun;

He seemed to know the history and stories

Of great rulers and spoke with effortless ease;   

He spoke greatly of kings and their ancestral line

Who were noble, kind-hearted and fine;

They made their country rich and reforms wrought

Without changing basic culture and thought;

 

2.    They owned rich mansions and palaces huge

With crystal pillars inlaid with gems and gold

And year by year their wealth grew manifold;

So many people came there to find jobs and refuge

Obeying rigid rules and hard, working hours

Building luxurious mansions and towers

The kings, though strict, put their wealth to good use;

Noble values and discipline they did infuse.

 

3.    The lovely palaces with royal symbols and turrets fine

The leaping figures of steeds and polished pillars round

We glanced from distance from the palace ground

With so many rooms and terraces in pretty designs

We watched with wonder though not allowed inside;

We learnt a lot about royal glory from our guide;

The lovely creepers and flowers carved with intricate art

With gilded pillars and arches beautified this spot.

 

4.    We travelled through the winding lanes of the old town

Lined with rows of old houses muddy-brown

And most of them deserted like temples old

Left as exhibits for tourists to behold

Their simple structures seemed plain and gross

With faded colors, broken windows and walls.

Like visions in a dream, they take us back to past

When people tended their flocks in the desert vast.

 

5.    The streets flanked by shops and stalls that sold

Costly jewels, gems and diamonds set in gold

Showcased necklaces, girdles and stone-set rings

A sparkling world of wealth with beaded gems on strings.

Various items and spices were neatly arranged in rows

Sweet smelling perfumes of musk, saffron and rose.

Tourists tempted by heaps of saffron and spices sweet

As tokens of their visit bought a few, as vendors greet.

 

6.    Circling the beach grand luxurious hotels seen

A perfect blend of ambiance beside waters blue-green;

Surrounded by palms and lawns grown with superb skill

Five-star hotels and villas with fountains and rills;

Young people swim and glide with vibrant roar

As foaming waves compete caressing the sandy shore;

The spacious villas seem like visions in a dream

A wonder to look at built in unique ways supreme. 

 

7.    The new township with ultramodern designs

With steep skyscrapers illumined bright

In various geometrical designs made a pretty sight

Spurred by new technological innovations shine;

With branded cars plying on roads smooth and wide

A noisy, busy world filled with swelling tide

Of workers from various nations from different fields.

Enriching this rich state to grow with greater speed.

 

8.    Despite its changing modern look the city revealed

Her traditional culture and vision in various fields

Her spacious museums, industries and trade

The harmonious blend of past and present displayed

With wonderful monuments, towers and treasures

A gorgeous city fraught with luxurious pleasures

Kudos to rulers, innovators and workers great

For changing this desert region into a flourishing state.

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17th January, 2024                  Somaseshu Gutala