"On The Buses"

When 176's were Routemasters
The bus home from school wasn't complete
If we didn't pile upstairs to the front
Pretending to drive and stamp our feet.
We'd make the driver scream and shout below
Our stomping was hurting his head
Scared he would rush up to us
With that slap schoolboys dread.
For adults could do what they liked
These were pre-Childline days
Traditional clips-round-the-ear were the norm
Leaving us not so innocent brats in a daze.
The bus fare home was three p
A penny off for the stop before
So if you braved climbing Dog Kennel Hill
You'd ruin your dinner for sure.
For a portion of chips was just a penny
That's how cheap the Seventies had been
Steaming hot with salt and vinegar
Feast fit for a king and queen.
The buses were our gateway to freedom
Thanks to the Red Bus Rover
Spending no more than ten bob
They'd take us all over.
The world was our oyster
Long before those cards were made
Anywhere in London
That was how we played.
A 37 from Peckham to Hounslow
If we fancied a long trip west
But the number 12 to Oxford Street
For shoplifting that was best.
The long gone tourist ticket
Was our passport to things we could never afford
And thanks to half-term strength in numbers
Tealeafing success was assured.
Going back South of the River
With our jumpers and sweets we'd holler
Writing this with adult hindsight
Lucky there were no Old Bill to feel our collar.
We must have been a nightmare
When the Routemaster was a proper bus
Jumping on and off like crazy
Creating such a fuss.
Holding onto the pole at the back
Feet flying in the air
It was probably quite dangerous
But as kids we didn't care.
Now I've reached middle age
I'm just happy to get a seat
One with a view by the window
That's my simple day trip treat.
When I was a little kid
It was double deckers to the christmas lights
Charging upstairs was a nightmare
The dash for the front seat causing fights.
That was as 'artistic' as it ever got
Well right up until this time
I honestly thought I'd never share
A big red bus with poets who rhyme.

Dulwich Poet 13th November 2014

(Tonight I went over to east London to get on a 242 bus, from Hackney to central London, an on-board poetry night!. It was an open public event, on an ordinary bus service, where poets took over the upper deck, and three feature poets performed, then some open Mic, which continued at the end of the route, when we found a sopt to read at Covent Garden. I forgot my 'poetry folder' at home, so I wrote this earlier in the day, to read for my Open Mic piece.)