Slow and Steady Wins the Race

There is a story often told
the tale of a rabbit and a tortoise slow.

The hare was hurried and scurried and panicked
While the other was slow and took no step for granted.

While the rabbit made progress by leaps and bounds
He often stopped to rest and lost much ground.

The tortoise on the other hand, poky and slow
Never stopped for a breather and kept on the go.

The rabbit would laugh in the tortoise's face
And said, "You'll never get anywhere at that pace!"

But the tortoise wouldn't mind his aching feet
Nor the laughter of the rabbit ahead in the street.

He just kept steadily plodding on
Mumbling a rather soulful song

And though his neighbors laughed and jeered
He kept his gait and persevered.

The rabbit, though fast, never got too far
He became distracted, sidetracked, and tired.

Its true that had he kept up speed
He would have won quite easily

But as it stands he couldn't keep on the go
Unless people were watching, unless he put on a show.

And since there was no one to watch or to cheer
Or folks to impress, or outrun, or to fear

And because he thought himself so far ahead
That rabbit said he would take a nap instead.

As the rabbit was sleeping on the green of the lawn
The tortoise kept plodding from dusk till dawn.

When the rabbit awoke he was shamed to find
That the tortoise surpassed him, that he lost time.

The rabbit took off like a speeding bullet
To catch up with the tortoise but found that he couldn't.

For all of his agility, for all of his speed,
He did not possess the most important thing.

But the tortoise knew just what it took
A thing that ability might overlook.

You may be the very best
But if you often stop to rest
and don't have gumption to persist
Who can tell what you'll have missed.