Driving into Boston on the bus;
It's like driving straight into the mind
Of a frightening person.

Warped cathedral -
Construction, construction, construction
This existing labyrinthine flyover system
And above,
Below, around, behind, between,
They're building another one.

Trying not to stop the old one flowing
Trying to get the new one built
And you get veered from one to t'other
Up, down, round back on yourself,
You pass your destination
Going the other way, below
As you pass under the snaky transept
You were on just five minutes ago
Vaster than empires,
And more slow.

Half an hour gets you from Boston
To Boston Bus Station
(Which is basically the same place) -
Makes for a long, slow service.

If what's frightening about it
Is the blessèd familiarity of it,
Then I must be the frightening person...
As it was, so shall it ever be
Roads without end - we are all driven;
Round the bend.

© 2000 Dharmachari Padmavyuha

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