Thursday, November 01, 2007

Poetry on the Bus

Mikaela says:
One of my favorite things about taking the bus in Seattle was reading the rotating Poetry on the Bus.

I have journals with poems sprinkled throughout, from moments I couldn't help but write down a bit of wisdom or humor I found there. There's something magical about writing poems brief enough to fit on those bus panels. You have no room for bullshit and just have to get straight to the metaphorical point.

Every so often, I go to check the latest. You can find them here.

I was so inspired that I tried to do something similar here in Albuquerque, picking up a fallen effort, it turns out. My try didn't result in a perpetuated effort, either. Oh well.

Our effort was Route Words, which was a great name. I miss it.

Here's the little ditty that made my day when I read it on the Seattle website:

Water Aerobics at the YMCA

We struggle against gravity,
mostly graying, mostly overweight.
We hop backwards as instructed,
in sudden kinship with crustaceans,
hot crawdad mamas jetting out of danger,
ghost shrimp scooting back to shelter -
we are the known ridiculous,
time lost and less remaining.


Margaret McLeod