I took a bus
not knowing where it was headed
I settled down for the ride
It climbed out of the town
and headed into the countryside
I admired the view
It stopped
and people got off
and people got on.
I smiled at them
but never spoke
The bus driver looked at me
through his mirror
and people got on
and people got off
The bus pulled into a layby
all the people got off
I stayed on the bus
The bus driver waited
“Are you getting off?”
He said.
“I don’t know? Where are we?”
“The last stop”
I stayed on the bus
knowing where it was headed
I settled down for the ride
It wound through the countryside
and back into the town
I admired the view
It stopped
and people got off
and people got on.
I smiled at them
but never spoke
The bus driver looked at me
through his mirror
and people got on
and people got off
The bus pulled into town.
All the people got off
The bus driver waited
“Are you getting off?”
He said.
So I got off.

Natalie Burns