Sometimes writing inspiration is just a bus ride away. Thanks to Hariana Chilstrom for letting me share this thought-provoking piece. Like a bus, it starts in one place and takes us somewhere else.
Misanthropy Rides the Bus
by Hariana Chilstrom
Riding on
the #14 bus
On my way
home,
Chewing on
my thoughts
About
loud, smelly, pushy people,
My eyes
suddenly closed.
And, like a big friendly black and tan dog
A question
wandered into my mind:
“I wonder
if I could love everyone on this bus?”
Well, I
didn’t get an answer
But the
question sure was interesting.
It opened
up a space
I didn’t know was there.
I didn’t know was there.
It was
like finding a hidden room
Empty and
unused
In a house
I thought I knew well.
Maybe I
won’t rush to fill it,
With
homilies and affirmations
But wait
To see
what comes
To see
what shows up
To see
what
Honestly
wants to be there.
About the author: Hariana
Chilstrom is a science educator and visual artist who is passionate about
pollinators and other (mostly spineless) creatures. She has written for the
Pacific Horticulture Journal, several natural history associations, and the
Seattle Aquarium. Many of her current creative non-fiction pieces have been
spawned by experiences on city buses.
