SUBURBAN BLISS

Folder: 
AMERICAN ZEN KOANS

 

Walking around a mall

looking and feeling bland

checking out bookstores

and record stores

 

and not finding the choices

to be adequate.

 

I leave with a book on

the plight of the American Indians

and a volume of poetry

by Charles Bukowski.

I also grabbed a new disc

from Living Colour

 

Looking down at my lopsided

2 year old Nikes disformed

by my crooked feet

and my t-shirt with a picture

of Al Bundy

and my faded out jeans.

 

The crowd seems judgmental

as I just sit and wait 

for the Septa bus.

 

I glance thru the book

on the Hopi Indians

seeking interesting passages.

 

Time is on my side tonight

I’ll be halfway through the book

before the bus drops me off.

 

That’s valuable use of time

kicking back on a bus with a book

reading and gaining knowledge

while occasionally looking up

to scope out the other passengers.

 

There’s a 9 year old white kid

telling his mom he needs

the video “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”

 

A college age Asian woman is reading

a best selling novel 

by some flavor of the month author

 

There are about 9 or 10 

other passengers who have yet

to pique my interest.

 

I just wait as the driver

pulls out from the parking space

I go back to my book

and think of writing a poem tonight.

 

Or maybe a couple months

after the fact

but at least I feel like writing at all

and at least I have
the most profound book on the bus.

 

Author's Notes/Comments: 

Written at some point in the early 90's.  Found in one of my many spiral notebooks littering my basement.

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allets's picture

I Like Bus Poems

I'm sure the kid's vid request went over like lead pancakes. - slc


 

 

georgeschaefer's picture

The mother seemed clueless

The mother seemed clueless and I was having visions of them watching the video together on a rainy afternoon--I really need to get my own life.  thanks for reading.