A night at the bus stand

a poem by Maryse Saldanha

Beautiful new city, crowed streets full of light
So what have you in store for me?
There’s so much to explore, I want to see it all
And hold time in the palms of my hand
I breathe in the city’s ways and fast life
Work leaves very little free time
I eagerly await the day off in the week
To explore this city and all it has

I travel all day, see them movies and cars
There’s so much more, I’m far from satisfied
But its pretty late now I rush to the bus stand
The last bus will soon arrive
I sit at the bus stand and look around
This the city that lives thru the night
Some rush in haste others leisurely walk
No two mannerisms even remotely alike

A man strolls past serving tea from a can
“The last bus has left you’re too late.” Now am I?
Hurry as I did I missed the last bus
I am now stranded, left high and dry
What will I do now? Home’s too far away
Can’t walk back, why not spend the night here?
As I wait I’ll watch this city that don’t sleep
Let it fill it’s life in my mind

Time ticks away, I see this beautiful lady approach
I look away I do not wish her uncomfortable to make
But when I look at her, I just cannot resist
I don’t believe it, the lady at me smiles!
Must I smile back? It would be rude if I don’t
So I smile back, she walks up to me
“Hello there,” I say, “A thousand says she”
Baffled I send her away

My heart calms down to its normal pace
Never thought this would happen to me
The tea man comes up to me I ask him for some
To soothe my nerves I could do with tea
A little away I watch few people settle to sleep
Under the open sky they spread their sheets
No roof over their head the open sky is theirs
Tonight I share with them the twinkling sky

Cops on patrol pass by, they look me up and down
Suspicious of my actions, why be at the stand?
They move on away leaving me to myself
I get back to watching the city at night
A drunken man passes by singing aloud
The dogs bark at him until he goes by
Then they go back to their sleep
Beside the men close to their body warmth

The tea man appears again and chats me up
Sharing his life in this city, his joy and strife
Would he want to go back? There’s no where to go
This city was his home now, here he would die
The night has gone by I watch daybreak approach
People begin to come out of their homes
Few hurry to work others out on a morning walk
Another day in the city has begun

The first bus approaches, the tea man leaves
He wishes me the best, I board the bus to retreat
Back to my home, back to another day of work
Back to a hectic day, shines above the morning sun
I take back with me tho, the beautiful night
Where man and beast together sleep
While others move about not knowing the night
I take back with me all this and more
A remarkable night at a bus stand in the city
A memorable night to me of this city life