Grandpa Rides the Bus

WHEN GRANDPA RIDES THE FIELD TRIP BUS

TO NORTHWEST TREK AT THE END OF SCHOOL YEAR

CELEBRATION FOR 5TH GRADERS MOVING ON,

he's given four boys to chaperone.

He tells them, This bus

is our Mothership. The man at

the steering wheel, dressed in blue cap,

blue shirt, says, My name is Bob,

you can spell it either way.

I'm the captain.

Jack, James, Julio and Tomás.

are Grandpa's boys. His granddaughter

whispers in his ear, Jack is a handful.

Grandpa says, I got it handled.

Jack says, I make amazing sounds

and makes the sound of a goat.

He repeats his goat-sound

called a bleat, sounding

like a child crying for its mother,

until the entire bus bleats after Jack.

Grandpa says to Jack,

You're the goat. Let's go

meet the buffalo.

Bob says, There's a bathroom

in the back for emergencies only.

Boys, if you have to use it,

you sit down, ok. You sit down.

We don't want to use it because then

it smells, and if the bathroom starts smelling,

listen up, I'll go back and get us

a yellow school bus.

Jim Bodeen

8 June  2018