Saturday, June 27, 2009

Busted!


SCENIC SUNDAY


BUSTED!

We were driving through the country-side
When 'Stop here!' everybody cried.
And that was when we parked beside
A London Bus!
*
Not bright and shiny, startling red,
But battered and pale green instead.
'Wish it could talk' somebody said;
'That London Bus.'
*
Did it once ply those London streets,
Passing Bobbies on their beats,
Carrying pimps and thieves and cheats,
That London Bus?
*
Then, did it grow a little old,
So it was left out in the cold,
And, finally, tragically, it was sold,
That London Bus?
*
Then, did a slouch-hat business-man,
Come with a quite convenient plan,
To lengthen the life with a further span
For that London Bus?
*
'I'll take it to old Sydney Town,
Where it can still run up and down!
Maybe I'll even paint it brown!
That London Bus!'
*
And did they put it on a ship,
For a very long and arduous trip,
With many a rise and deep-wave dip,
That London Bus?
*
Did it traverse another city
Where people thought it very pretty,
Though not bright red, and more's the pity,
That London Bus.
*
Then, I suppose, came Farmer Giles,
When it had driven a million miles;
'I'll take it on' he said with smiles;
That London Bus.
*
'What a good hen-house it will make!
Though the Australian sun will bake,
And it may meet the occasional snake!
That London Bus.
*
But soon there came insidious rust.
The Farmer stomped his foot and cussed.
'I'll let it rot, because I must,
That London Bus.'
*
That's how we saw it, high and dry,
Mocked by the people passing by,
What a slow old, terrible way to die
For a London Bus.
*
But sometimes I'm sure its windows gleam
When, in reverie it starts to dream
Of London streets where people teem,
That London Bus.
*


Some old things are treasured here:

6 comments:

Winifred said...

Oh that's so sad seeing it there. It's an old one, I think they called them Routemasters.

You created a nice tribute for it though Brenda.

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

I liked this, "the London Bus".

We have some really old buses in the fleet here in Calgary. Some are close to 30 something years old.

The changes they have seen to this city.

Thank you for sharing.

Darlene said...

Some days I feel like that London Bus. ;-)

quilly said...

This poem just shot to the top of my favorites list. What a wonderful commemoration.

Tumblewords: said...

Reverie is a good thing for an old bus and me, I feel this one.

Kat said...

My Sis gave me a miniature London Bus.

Loved Darlene's comment :))) We all do feel so, now and then..!!!