The Bus Ride (The 1970's)

By Michelle Longo-Bloom



A vacant seat on a bus,
the only one;
out it stood.
“I need to get on,
I need to get home,
Mama needs my help,
She’s all alone.”
Onto the coach, the boy stepped up,
and through the aisle he did pass.
Now, while standing and passing by
through rows of seats all occupied,
each one taken; each one gone,
he continued to look further on.
It caught his eye from ranks beyond,
he spotted one space, not yet had,
the vacant seat, no longer vacant,
now sat there, another lad.
He sat down beside him,
people staring; looking grim,
anticipating something dark and dim.
They stared some more,
everyone about;
double takes and looks to see for sure.
What they saw; what a sight,
two boys enthralled, recanting last night’s fight.
Smiling, laughing, conversing, engaging…
a grace to hold, a blessing true;
a picture worth forever saving.
It finally happened; it’s finally here,
to look at one’s skin and see the color, bare.
Together sitting on a bus,
such lack of conflict;
no erupting feuds,
not one fuss,
interacting …together sitting on a bus;
kidding, playing, respecting each other,
treating each other equally.
What they saw; what a sight,
one boy was black and one was white.
A vacant seat on a bus,
no longer vacant;
out it stood.