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