Poetry Should Hijack The Bus

after Ruth Forman 's “Poetry Should Ride The Bus”

 

Poetry should tag the bus

bring the blind to demand a more scenic route

inspire the driver to announce the next stop in iambic pentameter

push passengers to traverse the rows with a verse on HMOs

& entice morning commuters to call in sick

for the year

 

Poetry should get Billy Graham to slam grace before dinner

choke Julia Child until she serves Kentucky Fried Chicken

make Miss Manners lick her greasy fingers

& finger lick her goods

& inspire Martha Stewart to convert

the Colonel's oily red-striped bucket

into a lamp shade

for her prison cell

 

Poetry should fire a cannon through the canon

 

Poetry should paint the pentagon pink

streak the inaugural ball

sprinkle truckloads of Jell-O powder into the reflecting pool

dump soggy corn flakes on the white house lawn

& leave a flaming bag of dog doo at W's door

ring the bell & run

for office

 

Poetry should kiss everyone who stands at your side

& cane everyone who stands in the way

 

Poetry should jolt Jill Scott into swearing with Gil Scott-Heron

dare D'Angelo & Maya Angelou to duel banjos at open mic

demand LeAnn bust a rhyme

make Yo-Yo, Yo-Yo Ma & yo mama yodel over a lambada

sell Celene Dion on songs

about Martin Espada, the Intifada & the whole enchilada

& convince 2Pac to come out of hiding

 

Poetry should propel baby boys to rebel at their bris

& bring bruised wives to borrow Lorena Bobbitt's knives

 

Poetry should pay the rent

Poetry should pay the rent

leave your life so rich

everything becomes free

& leave enough dough

to bake bread for your lover

 

Poetry should push rush hour traffickers

to pull over on the next exit ramp

compose an ode to road rage

recycle their sport futility vehicles

board the bus

& hijack any silence with a haiku

 

 

- Junichi P. Semitsu

 

 

Excerpts of this poem aired on

Weekend America, a nationally syndicated public radio