Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Cacophonous Bus Ride


Cacophonous bus ride
Old crazy man talking animatedly to himself
In the back
Young African American woman having loud cell phone conversation
In the middle
Group of teen age white boys yakking with one another
In the front
I’m sitting across from a fidgety Asian college student
He effeminately squirms out of his sandals, his feet swaying
He sniffs constantly
I cannot read with all this
I look out the window and hear the sidewalk
I listen to the trees and parked cars
The pulsing rhythm of the shops and shoppers reverberate
There is no escape from sounds
No quiet
There is only this moment
Now 
And all its attendant auditory stimuli
None of it really wanted
Finally
I get off the bus sighing with relief
Finally
At home there is the soothing treble of quiet
In the yard birds sing
I feel the weight of my legs tired from much exercise
Sag into a chair
Softer now
Softer again
So soft
This crying mountain of lusty rich solitude
Punctuated by breaths
Mine
Deep and healthy
I make a smoothie
The blender is loud
But it’s mine

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