and i still ride tarc*. . .(blahzay-blahzay)

i still ride the tarc buses
with their
pissy smellin’ seats
gum stuck to the feets
odor of butt and malt liqour
fluorescent light flickers
backrest full of shoppin’ bags
seats full of graffiti tags
redundant ringin’ of stop bells
old vets spittin’ tall tales
slims in butterflyaway collars
dudes peepin’ girls
itchin’ ta holla’
grease spots on the windows
that seeped from hair
from bums who stretch out asleep
and just don’t care
bey-bey’s kids screams
old ladies with they "evil eye" beams
headphones blastin’ galore
old transfers litterin’ the floor
abundance of the black race
bus drivers clutching cans of mace
while they be shippin’ goods
from the hoods
to the malls
the concrete ship
doesn't stalls
it rushes us to work
on the trip out
our bodies be enroute
economically packed
from the front to the back
plus it cost us
1 nickel and 8 dimes
to be confined
in the belly
of the steel beast
when they do release us
they be aleast
a minium of ten
or even an a hour late
then they try to demonstrate
an attitude
that’s when i get rude
because on the way
back to our
shanty townships
the bus be equipped
with worn vinyl
bald tires
and drivers
who in two day
will retire
so i get home at midnight
with my work journey hours
equaling ten
and the next day
i have to do it all again
just the blahzay-blahzay
on the tarc everyday
i stil ride that mug
it’s my only way

Bernard Clay

*tarc. . .acronym for Transit Authority of River City public transportation system in Louisville, Ky