Empty Bus

Spongy sneakers slide

across a muddy floor

of a crowded bus, empty

of purpose,

its comings and goings

meaningless without

spirit in the vessel.

A large woman scrambles next to me;

perfume stings the walls

of my nostrils.

Earrings jingle in her hair,

gum stretches and contracts

in her teeth.

Society’s slave.

Cell phone lights appear from drenched

pockets. Drops gather at the tips

of hair strands, while bodies

shove past each other

in search of seats…

to what end?

In the window I see their reflections,

books, iPods, blank faces.

Incessant voices raid my ears, bits

of conversations

of days lived, days passing…

streets and dark

windows, hardly lit

by indoor fluorescence.

Students feel safe

under a roof, while

rain drops drown

flies on the bus

window.

Author's Note

Any comments would be much appreciated. :)