Submitted by: Jeremy Friedman
A rose by any other name
wouldn’t have a parade
And, next year,
neither will New Year’s Day
You’ve read the news
They’ve kissed it goodbye
The Rose Parade won’t be
passing through Pasadena

Erased for the first time
since the Second World War
Colorado Blvd’s colorful floats
are sunk before they ever rose
No bleachers, grand marshal,
theme, or awards
No Tournament-hosted event
showcasing painstaking effort
Lost tourism will wither local revenues –
not a cent following flowers’ scents
But the cancellation made sense
Health had to take precedence
Come January 1,
there’ll be a big football game,
But without fans or the parade
It won’t be quite the same
The poem’s author, Jeremy Friedman, is a lawyer and poet, whose poetry profile is online at www.PoetLawyerate.blogspot.com.
Featured Image: Michael Owen Baker/AP