We’re all familiar with the fable of the tortoise and the hare. I asked ChatGPT to rewrite it in verse with an added layer of caution over complacency!
Once upon a time, in a verdant land,
There was a race that all animals planned,
The Tortoise and the Hare, two rivals keen,
With pride and honor, they’d clash supreme.
The race began, the Hare sprinted ahead,
But the Tortoise, determined, took steady steps instead,
Slow and steady, he made his way,
The Hare, overconfident, saw no dismay.
The Tortoise carried on, with grit and might,
While the Hare stopped to frolic, with delight,
The Tortoise, inch by inch, drew near,
But the Hare thought, “I’ve nothing to fear.”
As the Tortoise approached the finish line,
He thought he’d won, so he took his time,
But he grew too complacent, too relaxed,
And suddenly found himself on his back.
He tried to flip, but to no avail,
His legs waved frantically, to no detail,
The Hare, ever-watchful, saw his chance,
He raced ahead, with a victor’s dance.
The Hare crossed the line, the Tortoise in dismay,
But he learned a lesson that would last him all day,
“Don’t get too proud, or let your guard down,
For victory can be lost, with a single frown.”
The Poems I Never Wrote 