Sand Castles in the Sky

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 unforgiving medium,
Subject to collapse from the slightest vibration.
Ephemeral by design.

Today, on my eights birthday,
We were going to the festival
And the very cool sand carvings.
It was going to be great.

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 undisturbed 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.

But I did not cry. I merely questioned God’s existence.