Cuties on the bus

Photo of Dan Fraser by my wife!

 

On the way home from an early morning medical test at the hospital I had to change from one bus to another. The schedule told me the #40 would be arriving within a couple minutes – a good connection I hoped.

As I waited at the Exchange, minute by minute it became clear my bus had left early! So I had to wait for the next bus.. Then a young mother walked up with her very little daughter. She was disappointed to have missed the bus as well – she had a job interview. We compared notes on making appointments when traveling by bus.

I have a few times had surprisingly personal conversations at bus stops! I told her a brief story of why I will be unable to drive the rest of my life. She responded by telling me she also was not going to be able to drive. She has a problem with her eyesight, a condition that gives her temporary blind spots in her vision.

The bus arrived and we got on. It happened that I was behind the little girl as we passed the driver. I had my bus pass ready to scan. I saw the sweetie had her “pass” clutched in her hand. It was a glossy paper of some kind, about half again bigger than a regular pass. It was decorated with a number of bright coloured stickers. The driver noticed her trying to get her “pass” through the scanner. Would you like to scan it, he asked her? She did. He helped her run it through and she moved towards seating. I ran mine through – it went Beep. I looked at the driver and said I’d take her pass ANY DAY! He agreed. Mother and her daughter sat two seats behind. I thought our interesting exchange was over. I hadn’t expected her daughter springing to life (into my life).

There were about four bench seats in front of me, behind the driver. A smiling grandmother lady got on with her very cute granddaughter and sat in front of me, leaving two empty seats. This little girl had pink angel wings extending from her back. She had a twinkle in her eyes but she became shy and turned away when my first cute little girl darted up to greet and perhaps play with the other girl.

Not able to make a new friend there, my first little sweetheart turned to me. She smiled and looked me over, then suddenly whipped off her floppy pink hat and handed it to me. I was more than bemused but I accepted it of course. I didn’t know what to do. I looked behind me and showed the pink hat to her mother. She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

Ok so I looked back at my new little friend, held up the hat and offered it back to her. She shook her head and pointed at me – I should keep it? Now I’m really bewildered. I mocked trying on the hat and told her it wouldn’t fit. She shook her head.

Not long after we arrived at my stop. The bus was crowded. I stood up to leave. Next thing I knew my little friend was standing in front of me with her little arm  clearly blocking my way off the bus! I wasn’t going anywhere? I’ve never experienced anything like this adorable girl before. With her mother’s help I managed to give her back the floppy pink hat and get off the bus. I will never forget my adventure with the cutest little girl imaginable. I wished her mother good luck with her job interview. She smiled back and said thanks. Never forget. Never forget….

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The deer and the frog

Photo by Dan Fraser

In our walk in the woods

around the duck pond yesterday

I observed a deer looking down on us

I would never see him

without some movement

he blends in so perfectly

even his eyes and ears turned towards us

could be enough

a few minutes later

only when he moved

I spotted a tiny green frog

he jumped twice away from us

thinking he was safer

when he stopped he immediately

became invisible to our eyes

movement indicates life

but can also draw danger

the opposite of intent

Airs of night

Photo by Adrienne Fraser

Although I move gently

across the floors of night

the earth knows every touch

although I breathe softly

in the airs of night

the sky knows every breath

although I do not speak

into the silence of night

the universe knows every thought

Lines of time

Photo by Dan Fraser

If you regret the ending

do you regret every step

along the way

if you regret the beginning

do you regret both the paradise

and the pain

can you find any spot

along the lines of time

where you would say

let it stop here

A wheelbarrow contemplates

 

Photo by Dan Fraser

 

What if a wheelbarrow discovered

it was carrying a load of bricks

should it stop and contemplate

or just carry on doing

what it was made to do

like I do

Small hands

Photo by Dan Fraser

The small hands of the child

feel the trembling

of the solar system

but he thinks it’s just a tree

and laughs and runs

towards the duck pond

he can hear them calling

Chip of star

Photo by Dan Fraser

 

I have to sit here

at the edge of question,

watching for a chip of star

to fall into my bowl

no one promised lightning

or a feather of sense

but I’m here anyway

I was never young

Photo by Dan Fraser

 

I was never young

I stole whatever I needed

on the Do Not Pay plan

Turns out it was the pay

and pay later plan

Oh this is the cost

of when my heated desire

took what I was warned

I could not take

Oh this is when I knew

I could leap the endless chasm

of my imagination

and never touch the shifting rocks below

This is when I drove full speed

into the blind brick wall

of the muscles bones and blood of time

now I know I was never young

 

Sideways fell off the table

Photo by Dan Fraser

 

Sometimes when the air is thin

and sounds are soft and humming

I wonder are there endings

do we come to ends

or are they changes in direction

changes in dimension

or perception

what’s the colour of this moment

did sideways fall off the table

did backwards disappear

who is here

does one of us have ears

and the other tongue

which one am I

are you listening

is every direction not straight ahead

did you hear that sound

I think something fell off the table

Mystery

Photo by Dan Fraser

 

Seized by the mystery

of the space between bones

and muscles

the air between breathing

water running through walls

I walk softly on the solitary molecules

of skin

rest easy on the cushion

of the lack of words

leaving and returning

seems like a complete explanation