2024 Sock Burning Poetry

Sailors and volunteers gathered after the June 23rd race for our twice weather-delayed sock burning ritual, celebrating Summer’s arrival. Many participants read poems they have composed about sailing or their stinky socks. This year, we also invited an artificial intelligence app to compose a poem, which it did within one second of entering the context for the poem and hitting “enter.”

First, the poetry of participants:

 

The sails are white, the water is blue,

So what do we do?

We gather the tiller, rudder, and a life vest or two

And head for the dock, just me and you.

For summer is here and racing begins,

Time to test our skills and the fickle wind.

Maybe, just maybe we will bring home a win!

-          A.T.

 

There once was a club for sailing.

Some sailed while others were bailing.

On a nice windy day,

The Lasers, “Y”, and “J”,

All enjoy themselves without failing.

-          J.S.

 

Through the winter my socks kept me warm.

So sorry to send them to the fire and harm.

But to extinguish the odor we must say goodbye

To my smelly socks as flames rise high.

-          T.S.

 

There was an old "salt", a peg-leg cripple;

Telling stories to laughter and sniffle!

One tale made people shudder

And hold tight to each other!

'Twas a tale of the race of Bartlett & Riffle!

-          M.B

 

Our sailing sock pairs were all burning!

For summer sail races we’re yearning!

Kevin, Matt, and Laura are tryin’;

Tom, Catey, and Dianne keep flyin’.

But it’s Jim Voelz from whom we’re all learning.

-          M.B.

 

The next one is haiku which although brief, adds a difficulty factor to meet the prescribed formula for haiku: A haiku is a short, unrhymed poem that adheres to a specific three-line, seventeen-syllable format.

 

Adieu my old socks,

You served me well in Winter.

Ahoy there, Summer.

-          L.D.

 

Now poetry from artificial Intelligence:

 

As winter fades and springtime mocks,

We gather here with smelly socks.

In colors bright and hues that scare,

We fling them high into the air.

 

The stench of feet from days of yore,

No match for wind and waves' sweet roar.

We cast them now into the flame,

With laughter loud, we play the game.

 

O socks, once worn with boots and shoes,

Your time has come, you’ve paid your dues.

No longer trapped in winter's grip,

We send you off on this last trip.

 

To summer skies and sailing dreams,

To sunshine bright and sparkling streams.

We bid farewell to wool and thread,

And welcome warmth and seas ahead.

 

So burn, dear socks, in fiery blaze,

And mark the end of chilly days.

With every puff of smoky air,

We celebrate the joys we share.

 

Goodbye, old friends, you’ve served us well,

In stormy weather, rain, and swell.

But now it’s time for summer’s call,

For sailing fun and thrills for all!

-          Chat GPT (composed it in one second). Next year we will ask it to compose haiku.

    Not to worry sailors, we will not be allowing AI-controlled sailboats.