deepundergroundpoetry.com
The Beard, the Baby & St Christopher
The crazy green beard
no-one wanted to sit by
at the back of the bus
rose on ungainly feet
and cleared its throat politely.
After urinating thoughtfully
and precisely in the aisle
expertly managing the sway
to avoid trouser splash
he got down at the next stop
and shuffled into the darkness,
whistling a tune about Texas
The toddler at the front of the plane
who kept every passenger awake
on my long haul flight
puked and shat and cried,
screaming for milk with a nappy change
every eight minutes.
His parents left the plane at Miami
wishing they could leave him behind
both parties ready to file for divorce.
Today, I pick up a ferryboat
and tomorrow I'll be riding a train--
hoping St Christopher's back on duty
no-one wanted to sit by
at the back of the bus
rose on ungainly feet
and cleared its throat politely.
After urinating thoughtfully
and precisely in the aisle
expertly managing the sway
to avoid trouser splash
he got down at the next stop
and shuffled into the darkness,
whistling a tune about Texas
The toddler at the front of the plane
who kept every passenger awake
on my long haul flight
puked and shat and cried,
screaming for milk with a nappy change
every eight minutes.
His parents left the plane at Miami
wishing they could leave him behind
both parties ready to file for divorce.
Today, I pick up a ferryboat
and tomorrow I'll be riding a train--
hoping St Christopher's back on duty
Published 8th Nov 2011
| Edited 30th Jan 2023
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Anonymous
11th Nov 2011 00:07am
It took me a moment to realise that the second verse wasn't a continuation of the first, but dealt with a different incident, which confused me because of the shift from a bus to a plane. Maybe you could put a numbered header at the start of each verse? Just an idea.
Personifying the man on the bus by his green beard was a nice touch, and the semantic field of bodily functions throughout the poem is appropriately gross, conveying real degradation on these modes of public transport. The last tercet, on the other hand, is a nice elegant closer. Thanks for the read, Abra.
Personifying the man on the bus by his green beard was a nice touch, and the semantic field of bodily functions throughout the poem is appropriately gross, conveying real degradation on these modes of public transport. The last tercet, on the other hand, is a nice elegant closer. Thanks for the read, Abra.
