I got on a bus today, without timetable or ticket
Because they seemed like cheating, and
I was tired of cheating No cut corners, no roundtrips, no stops
No broken-glass promises or
Excuses So I learned that sitting on a bus when it starts is
Like being inside the stomach of
A growling beast And I learned to focus on the buildings and
Then the forest sliding by in
Time with my heart And I learned that if you let it
A bus ride can be the seed of
Any dream And I learned to leave some dreams
Behind me, remaining only
In my memory What else did I learn?
I don't think my journey will ever end
I am still moving I got on a chair today, swivel with wheels
Because it was at my desk, at a window, and
I was tired of standing No paper cuts, no roundabouts, no stops
No broken-glass promises to myself
Excuses
Decision 1: I'll contribute something today to Hubski, starting with this loveletter to flaggy's poem. Hey, _refugee_, rezzeJ adapt a line or two of flag's meditation to suit your own immediate moment. Let's make it #todayswritingprompt Instead, decisions, dreams, deliberations
Everything and nothing. It depends on one's interest or alertness to perceptions and surroundings. One specific thing I learn every time I ride a bus or streetcar is the minutia of people's lives, their emergencies, their stresses, a lot of things I'd rather not learn; but they talk loudly into their cell phones about personal things. They swear and threaten people on their cell phones. Subways are potentially quieter.
We have a bunch of new electric buses on rails. Not a lot of cities still have them the rails. Anybody else still have streetcars on rails?
This is a nice image. So I learned that sitting on a bus when it starts is
Like being inside the stomach of
A growling beast
Interesting locations and transit systems in that link. The downtown Toronto streetcars are not exactly what you'd call a "light rail system" but they would have a lot in common with some of them. The new streetcars pictured above do have that light rail look. Unlike downtown Calgary, where for the most part, the commuter trains are very much separated from car traffic, the tracks from the Toronto streetcars are not separated at all. (Somewhat like the San Francisco Cable Cars but not as hilly.) Consequently if you are in a hurry on a major n-s or e-w street, and you get behind a streetcar, it takes some maneuvering to get out in front. Streetcar drivers often get off the bus to yell at car drivers who pull up when their doors are still open. It's messy and gritty and there's a lot of mixing it up, unlike the pristine bus ride that flagamuffin was on above - which I suspect was 100% metaphorical.
Mind if I share some edits with you? Just some ideas, of course, not saying that this is what you were going for or what you envisioned, just something to think about. I got on the bus today: no timetable, no ticket
No cheating
I'm tired of cheating No cut corners, no round trips, no stops
No broken-glass promises, no
Excuses Sitting on a bus when it hungers to life
Is being inside the stomach of
A lurching beast I learned to focus on buildings,
Then the forest sliding by in
Time with my heart I learned that if you let it
A bus ride can grow
Dreams And I learned to leave some dreams
Behind, waiting only
In memory I learned the journey will never end
As long as I am still
Moving