The Wheels on the Bus

A poem about people on the bus and yes, I thought of it while I was on the bus. It's simple but the meaning is good and I personally enjoyed reciting it in my head on my way home from work.

He sits up front with his life in his hands

A cracked yellow hardhat and paint stained pants

A high school drop out with no better plan

All he can be now is a working class man

 

She stands two rows back with a baby in her arms

Her first mistake was falling for a strange man’s charms

Nine months later after the one night stand

She had a second mouth to feed and no cash at hand

 

Welcome to the faces, the lives, the stories

Of the good hearted people who have all the worries

We have dirt under our fingers and sweat down our backs

As we piece together a life and a track

 

An elderly man rests tired and worn

Waiting for the bus to take him home

He should have retired by now but he knows the drill

He must work for his wife’s medical bill

 

Two teenage girls laugh and flirt

With all the pretty boys in their expensive shirts

They have no hope, they have no dreams

All they have are men and the streets

 

 

Welcome to the faces, the lives, the stories

Of the good hearted people who have all the worries

We have dirt under our fingers and sweat down our backs

As we piece together a life and a track

 

Author's Note

Please comment!

Reviews

[Shadow_Self]

Wow, I found this realistic. I'm pretty much speechless on how a song we sang when we were younger can turn into something as beautiful as this.

[Serenity Faith]

What an interesting twist to the classic song we sang as kids. Who have thought there'd be a different, darker side to the happy story. Simply because life has given different people harder roads to tow, doesn't mean they're not good people I agree. Very very well done ^_~

[FJ Davis]

Those "wheels' on the bus are, apparently, not "big wheels"--no, they are decidedly "small wheels" who pretty much grind the world into working.
This piece is thoughtful and smartly styled.
An impressive offering!

[A. V. Madison]

Wow. I was left completely speechless.

"Welcome to the faces, the lives, the stories
Of the good hearted people who have all the worries
We have dirt under our fingers and sweat down our backs
As we piece together a life and a track."

My parents never went to college, and they work hard to feed me and my sister, and this shows that just because you work hard- doesn't mean you're not a good person.

[zainul]

I am amazed by the magic of your words.
You allured me to follow you like The Pied Piper of Hamelin and enter deep into
the roles of all characters.
You have presented all the events vividly in their cultural and social contexts.
Wonderful work.

[ewest1220]

The title caught me off guard and perked my curiosity so I had to take a look. I really did like this piece. Your last stanza to me was an excellent addition to your piece. "Welcome to the faces, the lives, the stories." Very well done!

[Renée]

Excellent piece about real people on the bus !

[Theresa]

This is well written and I love how each stanza paints a 'sneak peak' into real lives. Love the line,"Welcome to the faces, the lives, the stories" That is very powerful and I am glad you repeated it in another stanza. Well done!

[Everett DeValle]

This is beautiful poetry...I truly enjoyed the rhyme couplets, yet what is profound is the story of your message, which is epic and told in stanza...it was like I was on this bus itself(although I drive)...I see life surrounding me the same way...Chinese people at the park in the morning doing Tai Chi...The Mexicans readying their Taco Trucks...everyone rushing to work and stopping at the gas station, etc....and you see stories in each face.

A wonderful write.

[Bare trees]

This reads like a film short. You did a wonderful job of telling stories of common people in difficult situations through the eyes of poet. Observation is an element most important to any writer and you write very well.