Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Bay to Breakers

Photo by Rachel Hoyt. © 2011 All rights reserved.

The tortoise and the hare raced in the San Francisco rain
as other costumed folks rushed the streets like bulls in Spain.
I suppose no observer would have called their pace racing
but if you asked them, they'd blame inadequate spacing.
With mobs of Elvis's, Waldos and Smurfs in your way,
it's funner to indulge your turtle pace for a day.

It was the Bay to Breakers centennial anniversary,
an event all gallavanters and lookie-loos should see.
Unfortunately, some of the locals hope it was the last.
They aim to make this race/party a thing of the past.
It's similar to the problem faced by Floatopia fans:
a rowdy minority peeing wherever and leaving behind beer cans.

The difference between the two is the "honeymoon" length.
Each time an event repeats itself, the tradition gains strength.
After a hundred years, many families have built memories
racing in costume or hosting street side revelries.
At what point does the event come with the territory?
Can't the people work together to keep things hunky-dory?

I know no other race where you could go
Captain Hook wandering around with Tinkerbell.
Angels from Heaven jogging with demons from Hell.
The Royal Wedding running past the US Cabinet.
People taking pictures with some naked guy they just met.

Sure, no event can accommodate everyone's taste,
but that doesn't mean we should destroy it with haste.
One hundred years is a long time to keep up tradition.
Must mother nature strike again to prevent it's omission?
The tortoise remembered that was how it all began...
and to honor another tradition, she ran....
three steps across the finish line, winning again.

 © Rachel Hoyt 2011.  All rights reserved.


This rhyme is being shared at One Stop Poetry.
Click on over to join in the fun with me.

I'm also sharing this poem in the Thursday Poet's Rally
and would like to thank those who voted for me in the tally.
I'm overjoyed to win the Perfect Poet Award - Summer 2011.
Your votes (to me) are like manna from heaven.

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27 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 6:44 AM

    Sounds like FUN to me!

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  2. ClaudiaMay 18, 2011 at 8:32 AM

    hehe - i love the turtle pace....and your sense of humor

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  3. Brian MillerMay 18, 2011 at 9:47 AM

    ha this certainly sounds like a sight to see...and a lot of fun for families...even if they are multi-species?

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  4. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 12:09 PM

    Loved it. Reminiscent of The Great North Run. I smiled from start to finish, although its a crying shame anyone should want to prevent such occasions.

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  5. AnonymousMay 18, 2011 at 2:34 PM

    Nicely done, as usual.

    San Francisco always seems like a magically unique place. I don't think I'd want to live there, but during my nomadic years it might have been a nice town to explore for six months or so.

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  6. ayalaMay 18, 2011 at 5:54 PM

    Nicely done!

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  7. My0wn5aviorMay 19, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    Glad to be able to read your blog again! Great work, went nicely with this sunny day!

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  8. ScottMay 19, 2011 at 12:28 PM

    thank you so much for carrying on our Mother's rhyming abilities!!

    She was always so good at it and your are carrying that Hoyt tradition

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  9. Rachel HoytMay 19, 2011 at 12:52 PM

    @Wanda - It is SUPER FUN!!! :)

    @Claudia - I'm glad you like my turtle pace. Wish I could run/walk faster, but I'm truly a turtle at heart. Hehe.

    @Brian - HA! Nice rhyme. :)

    @Tino - I've heard about the Great North Run! It also sounds very fun.

    @Doug - I agree about living there. I LOVE visiting, but prefer a more mellow, small city for my actual residence. :)

    @Ayala - Thanks!

    @MyOwnSavior - Good to have you back!

    @Scott - Awww, thanks Uncle. :) I am super pleased to carry on Grandma Betty's rhyming ability/tradition. :)

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  10. AnonymousMay 19, 2011 at 11:17 PM

    Sounds like so much fun!

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  11. $unshine of the MoonMay 20, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    Awesome!! loved reading it and loved the ending :):):)

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  12. Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis HallMay 20, 2011 at 6:08 PM

    well capture of a fun event,

    love the turtle and hare story.

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  13. Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis HallMay 20, 2011 at 6:09 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  14. Rachel HoytMay 20, 2011 at 8:46 PM

    @mindlovemisery - It WAS fun! I highly recommend it. :)

    @Sunshine of the Moon - Glad you liked the ending! That IS how it was. Hehe. :)

    @Jingle - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the rhyme on both levels. :)

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  15. AnonymousMay 21, 2011 at 10:21 AM

    I love reading your style and gotta say this kind of event would be so cool to be involved in!

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  16. Poetry RoadMay 21, 2011 at 11:22 PM

    What a fun and fresh piece!

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  17. Someone is SpecialMay 22, 2011 at 12:33 AM

    awesome and fun... Here is my rally post, ~ come on idiot, you are for me ~

    ! Happy Sunday !

    Someone is Special

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  18. Rachel HoytMay 22, 2011 at 5:29 PM

    @abthomas - I love your style as well! I nominated you for perfect poet at the bottom of my Angry Birds post. :)

    @Poetry Road - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the change of pace. :)

    @Someone is Special - Thank you and Happy Sunday to you!

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  19. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 5:00 AM

    What a sense of humor!! You have visualized this with your poetic skills that is as effective as a video.

    Iris
    http://irisinbloom.wordpress.com
    http://poetpost.wordpress.com

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  20. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 11:23 PM

    Loving your writing style
    Hope to see you go the mile
    Making a person's day while
    Rhyming with a smile (:

    -RPIMotion Author

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  21. AnonymousMay 25, 2011 at 11:38 PM

    Good for the tortoise...I love it when he wins...a nice rhyme!

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  22. AnonymousMay 26, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Awesome, awesome, awesome! Thanks for always sharing such neat things with us! I always know it will give me a smile to come here. :) I would LOVE to participate in such an event. It's too bad there are some that ruin it for others by littering...:-/

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  23. Rachel HoytMay 27, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    @Poetpost - Thanks! It wasn't too hard for me to visualize since I was there. Glad it felt like a video to you. :)

    @rpimotion - Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I hope to "go the distance" too. :)

    @pandamoniumcat - It would be a sad world if the hare started winning. That's the tortoise's job! :)

    @dragonkatet - You are welcome. Thanks for coming here to find out about random silly things! I wish I could highlight them all... :)

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  24. moondustwriterJune 8, 2011 at 12:03 AM

    Loved running it and watching it when I lived there

    I love your fun/ light angle on poetry

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  25. Rachel HoytJune 8, 2011 at 6:51 PM

    @moondustwriter - thanks! So glad you like my style. :)

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  26. Marbles in My PocketJuly 30, 2011 at 10:41 AM

    No! I hadn't seen this! Thanks for showing it to me. You did a great job of describing this "festival"!

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  27. Rachel HoytJuly 30, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    @Marbles in My Pocket - I'm glad you liked my tortoise and hare story. :)

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Rhyming or not, I would like a lot to hear the thoughts my words brought...

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