Debbie Guzzi Poet Free verse

The Bus Ride (Himalayan Mountains Nepal 2003)

As the bus rode 
through the molting pine forest and
the crumbling ochre rock formations;
bits of colorful cellophane litter brought the only relief to the eye.

Inside, behind a profusion of people,
boxes, backpacks and assorted baggage
babies slept.

The bus creaked, shook and groaned
its way down the serpentine,
asphalt, mountain track.
Passengers chattered away in Indian, Nepalese, Danish and English,
abrasively punctuating 
a Universal discourse;

As the vehicle draped from roof to bumper,
careened from rock walls 
to sheer ledges, beeping.
Stray pets and wayward cyclist dodged its downward flight
Into the valleys maw.

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Julia Cheng January 6, 2009 at 7:12 PM This reminds me of my own hair-raising rides in buses/rickshaws along the mountains in northern India. I liked all the small details you included, like the cellophane and crazy cyclist.