Monday, December 24, 2012

Sand Castles


Imperial Beach Sand Castle competition
Was an annual event                                                                      
That I had not witnessed,
Despite my four years in the neighborhood.

Sure, I’d seen the videos
Portraying everything from surfers riding cooperative waves 
To war scenes,
All replete with exquisite detail.

The 100 sand sculptures were works of art.
Carved in a most insubstantial medium,
Subject to collapse from the slightest vibration.
Ephemeral by design.

Almost 400,000 people visit 
The two day event.
But few, surely no more than two or three, can report the truth.
It is a phony.

Pictures of people thronging the beach,
Photos of the contesting entrees,
Selection of the best of extraordinary creations
Are all  fake.

We arrived at 11:30,
Only to be told the contest would not begin before two.
Then Saturday morning morphed into Sunday afternoon.
We returned to view the results.

Moving briskly to the first group offerings,
Expecting to be wowed by the brilliance...
Bam, nothing here!
A beach of uninterrupted sand.

Having been cleverly diverted 
By the late starting time was one thing,
But finding no renderings two hours after closing
Lead to an inescapable conclusion: It never happened.

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