Saturday, December 27, 2014

The Joys (or Not) of Commuting, Part II


Not having a car definitely has its drawbacks.
The bus system in this city has always been inefficient 
and inconvenient; planning an outing means knowing 
it will be a safari requiring time and patience.
On the other hand, because I've always walked 
or taken a bus I know and see this city
in an entirely different way than do the people
who drive everywhere, texting and talking on cell phones
as they go. On foot, Wednesday morning, I saw
raindrops trembling on the curls of a bare vine.
And as I entered the dressing room to change for practice,
I was greeted by a half dozen snowmen, peeping
around the locker doors to see the reactions of the girls
to the presents left for them on the bench.
I see small beauties in the cracks in sidewalks,
the cracked and peeling paint on pavements.
It's a different world for me, even though I share
the same space as drivers.


5 comments:

William Kendall said...

I really like the composition in that first shot.

Speedway said...

Thanks, William. I just wish my little camera were fast enough to have caught the vine stem mid-tremble. It was really graceful.

Julie said...

Not only do I not have a car, but I also had to surrender my licence. Now I travel less, but more intensively. It has also taught me immenae patience, and the necessity to plan each and every trip. I can get most placesa, and know many routes off by heart.

LuiZ FernandoS said...

I love walking instead of driving, too. Like you, I believe I enjoy much more of my city catching the little details.
As for buses frequency, GMaps and Moovit app are of a great help. I hope you can use them too.

Birdman said...

Ha! Speaking as a driver, the 'speedway' isn't all it's cracked up to be anyway.