No.12 Bus
I may be the only one who can make a bus ride sound so gloomy.
image by dsnake1
No. 12 Bus
When the bus arrives at Bedok,
i boarded
from a night wet with rain,
belly screaming for food.
In the half-lit womb of the bus
droning with white noise,
chugging home at 8.30.
the air-con hisssing
stuttered drafts
the air heavy with
infusions
of
after-work perspiration
fading perfume
and the people cocooned
in this metal shell,
sit,
stand
in mocked nonchalance
some sleeping, or pretending
some thinking of home
of dinners
eyes staring blankly
out of dark windows
bored indifference
averting glances
protecting their little square
of
seating space
the glare of street lights
sculpting
noirish faces
deep in semi darkness.
When the bus swings into Tampines
I alight
to a night wet with shadows
hunting for food.
Apr. 2006
*********
image by dsnake1
No. 12 Bus
When the bus arrives at Bedok,
i boarded
from a night wet with rain,
belly screaming for food.
In the half-lit womb of the bus
droning with white noise,
chugging home at 8.30.
the air-con hisssing
stuttered drafts
the air heavy with
infusions
of
after-work perspiration
fading perfume
and the people cocooned
in this metal shell,
sit,
stand
in mocked nonchalance
some sleeping, or pretending
some thinking of home
of dinners
eyes staring blankly
out of dark windows
bored indifference
averting glances
protecting their little square
of
seating space
the glare of street lights
sculpting
noirish faces
deep in semi darkness.
When the bus swings into Tampines
I alight
to a night wet with shadows
hunting for food.
Apr. 2006
*********
posted by dsnake1 at 6:56 PM
10 Comments:
Not bad. Sometimes a bus ride _is_ gloomy, especially if in the evening when it's raining and it's a monday...
Night wet with rain to a night wet with shadows, I thought that is clever.
thank you, liz!
i'm always in a bad mood after staying back late in the office. :)
I do like that last stanza! A night wet with shadows...that's a very clever description! You reminded me of how much i loathe bus rides for all those reasons you stated and my nightmare
13 hour inter-spain bus ride.
This bus I took was a/c. A backpacker boarded the bus at the terminal and he had a VERY ripe odour just clinging about him, I'm not sure if he was brought up by apes. He sat next to my seat. Then minutes into the journey, he farted loudly. And then, he took off his sneakers....and socks....
I turned to the window and tried to open it, then realised it's sealed! Sealed! No choice after that, just prayed fervently to God that sleep will come soon and it did! Or maybe i just fainted from the shock!
Ewwww!!
the pits!
now you got car, no worry.
takes me back to london commuting many years ago
like medusa i love that ending
evocative piece
cheers
floots,
thank you.
i have no choice but to take a bus around. if i'm working weekends, sometimes i cycle to work.
half lit womb droning with white noise....I like that. Can I link?
hi plus ultra,
thanks for stopping by!
no problem, go ahead and link.
glad to know someone who writes english poetry from across the causeway. :)
why ppl can write poems abt their transportation home, while i write silly observations? *envy*
hey panda,
your "silly observations" are humourous, it's your unique style of writing.
also nothing to do in the bus, so write poem in the head lor.
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