Fireflies and FairylightsTraffic, Smiles & Other Oddities
Today I took the long road home.
Not the shortest or the quickest or the most efficient route,
But one that wound around the city and took me to places I hadn’t been before.
Snaking through tiny lanes,
Scurrying into dark bylanes,
Trying to find a way back home through paths unknown.
After all, don’t they say all roads lead to Rome?
I took the time to just cruise around,
Smiling at motorists who whizzed past me.
They were puzzled and irritated by my lazy calm.
Why wasn’t I in a tearing hurry?
Each driver was a bully and a victim in turn,
Unpleasant, and ready with curses and blows
How dare I display leisure during peak traffic hours,
When tempers were high, and patience ran low?
Two kids, perhaps in their late teens,
Shook their fists and called me a pest,
With furrowed brows and angsty scenes,
They spewed some words that weren’t their best.
But I drove along as casually as I could
Unbothered by those who blocked my way,
For each scowl I received, I sent back a smile,
And the occasional wink and a friendly wave.
Some looked confused, some taken aback,
What business had I to look so happy and gay?
But a few smiled back, reluctant at first,
Not used to having kindness sent their way.
One man relaxed, sat back in his seat,
Cranked up the music, tapped to the beats.
Another woman shouted, “It’s nice to see,
A happy face on these mean streets.”
I continued, undisturbed, unruffled,
Enjoying the breeze that broke through the sultry haze
Humming to myself an old, forgotten tune
A throwback from my childhood days.
Today, I took the long road home,
Slow, winding, and joyfully stray.
I left a few smiles in my wake.
And that was well worth the delay.
Spectrum Alliance Movement
Tony Zee
