Strangers on the Bus

Strangers on the Bus

March 10, 2011 My Poetry Writing 3

The bus rumbles on through the blue night,
Full of strangers waiting to be home.
I search their faces with a tender curiosity
Pretending I can read their minds and hearts.

You sir, are too handsome to be trusted
And the laugh wrinkles around your eyes
Are belied by the bitter lines around your mouth.
I bet you lie to the people who love you.

I like better the young man slouching under his hoodie.
His serenity suggests he lives in a world all his own,
Pursuing his quiet dreams with unrelenting passion,
Sorting facts into the cupboards of his mind.

The old man is tired of his dozen plastic grocery bags
Always trying to slip off the handles of his walker.
I wish someone would help him with his shopping.
He is wondering if he forgot to buy tuna fish.

And you, sitting beside me— you lean against the window
And suddenly I feel quite certain you are missing somebody.
If I wasn’t here, would you breathe on the glass
And trace a heart in the mist you made there?

At first I overlook the girl with the sequined coat,
Repelled by her nonchalant sneer, her smacking gum.
But then her lips tighten with pain in an unguarded moment,
And I see even she has things she would rather not remember.

There are more stories here than I could ever read,
Tales of pain and joy hidden under shabby covers,
So why do I ring the bell, and step outside into the snow
Never to know how any of these stories end?

 

3 Responses

  1. Wow, do we need it to be spring…

    Good poem; I’ve felt that way myself.

  2. Wendy says:

    The two friends I have met on the bus who I treasure the most are: a mentally retarded women who contributed more to the world than most people of higher intelligence ever do through her diligence at her fast food job and her church work and a seeing-eye dog who, off-duty for the duration of the bus trip, spent the time gazing at his charge with eyes filled with love.

  3. cattycrafty says:

    A beautiful poem, I truly love it watching the people on buses and roaming the streets. Oh what stories they hold!

    I have been lurking in the shadows reading and re-reading your posts and letting them truly settle in my mind. You have a beautiful style and a beautiful voice. I knew of you, once upon a time, and admired your courage to be creative in a world of oppressive pessimism. I’m glad you’ve continued to grow your words into such delectable examples of the written word and am excited to read your next adventure.

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