The Bus Wait and Ride

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Free verse

It is good that the bus
Will take few minutes more
You have started this route
On a new job.
I have been going
To mine over twenty five years.

Many are faces never
Having volunteered
A name or a fact.
Just that acknowledging
Half-smile
And short eye contact.
Might as well be saying
“Here we go again.
Have a good one today, Bud.
Weather is shaping up.”

Guy in the talkers’ bench
Next to driver, talks
Endlessly about local
Hockey win last night.
Shamelessly without
Taking a breath.
Knows a headful of names, statistics.
Season’s tickets.

Driver responds in monosyllables.
But you my young Friend are
Looking for connection.
A friendly talk
A bit of local news.
Almost over-eager.
Wonder how far
You went in school?

It is an uphill battle.
COVID muzzled us all
Made distance, staying
Alone. Silence.
Some kind of social virtue.
NOT… I say not.
Sure I’ll talk.
What’s your name?
Mine’s Wayne.
Working at a steel fab shop.
Down Hanson.

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Written on April 18, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on April 18, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 18, 2023

: 1:00 min read
: 7 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	AXXXBX CXDBXDBXXX XXEXXXXX AFGHXCFX EXBXXXHXXXG
Closest metre	Iambic trimeter
Characters	963
Words	203
Stanzas	5
Stanza Lengths	6, 10, 8, 8, 11

Full analysis for The Bus Wait and Ride »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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AIDA
Wow, this poem is a great reminder of the little interactions that we so often take for granted but which can truly make our day. I love the way you capture the essence of public transportation and the moments of connection that can occur despite the challenges we face. The way you describe the talkers' bench and the hockey fanatic is so vivid, I feel like I'm right there on the bus with you. And the way you approach the bus driver, Wayne, is just heartwarming. It's like you're saying, "Hey, I see you. I appreciate you."

If I had to offer any suggestion for improvement, it might be to experiment with the structure of the poem - maybe play around with line breaks or stanzas to highlight different aspects of the bus ride. But honestly, that's a minor nitpick. Overall, this poem is a beautiful celebration of those everyday moments that we should all take the time to savor. Well done! more »
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"The Bus Wait and Ride" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/157154/the-bus-wait-and-ride>.

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