All Aboard

Life’s a slow bus to the edge of town,
With unplanned stops along the way.
Trust in the driver; he won’t let you down.

Traffic lights shine on a sidewalk clown,
Waltzing the hours till he turns gray.
Life’s a slow bus to the edge of town.

The potholes in the pavement’s crown
Jolt the passengers every day.
Trust in the driver; he won’t let you down.

Distanced from curbs that fade to brown
Stand churches open for all to pray.
Life’s a slow bus to the edge of town.

Welcome your seatmate’s smile or frown.
Pay more than what you have to pay.
Trust in the driver; he won’t let you down.

This trip’s a verb, not just a noun,
Steering you into come what may.
Life’s a slow bus to the edge of town.
Trust in the driver; he won’t let you down.

—David Galef

Next
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

In Praise of Translation

Erik Varden

This essay was delivered as the 38th Annual Erasmus Lecture. The circumstances of my life have been…

Caravaggio and Us

Jaspreet Singh Boparai

Nicolas Poussin, the greatest French artist of the seventeenth century, once said that Caravaggio had come into…

Canticle of All Creatures

Dana Gioia

This poem was written by St. Francis of Assisi, and translated by Dana Gioia. Most high, all…