a winter Friday…
-walked to the bus stop before the sun came up
-noticed a vertical, art deco style window high on the city hall building I had never noticed before
-was accompanied on latter part of my walk by clouds of crows
-noticed the iron ornamental trim on top of the bus hut
-boarded a short, white bus to a neighboring town to meet some friends for a day trip to Boston
-saw a horse wearing a coat standing in a field, choosing not to go in through the open barn door
-saw the Green Mountains silhouetted against the rising sun
-saw the Adirondacks off in the distance to my left
-saw blue maple syrup lines running through the woods
-watched as the bus race an icy brook
-saw the bus driver pull up to a stop and wait, then saw a woman scurry up to the bus and say, “Sorry I’m late” and heard the bus driver say, “You’re okay.”
-got picked up at the bus stop by my friend in her car
-stopped to get coffee beans
-ate homemade English muffins with butter and quince jam
-drank coffee
-took the first of many pee breaks
-listened to an episode of “This American Life” about pets including a weird armadillo, a dog loved more than the children, and a screeching, attacking macaw a woman couldn’t stop loving
-listened to another episode about a car dealership complete with B-movie style salesmen
-crossed bridges and went through tunnels
-ran through Ikea looking and laughing and buying
-went to a movie in an almost empty, very dark theatre where the seats shook our butts whenever punches flew on the screen
-sang the parking fairy song to ensure we got a space (it worked)
-ate amazing Italian food served by a woman with eyes exactly like mine
-had cappuccinos with a huge amount of froth
-watch a firetruck turn on its lights to stop for Italian pastry
-bought pastry to take home
-shopped in a Japanese clothing store and saved a bundle because of fortuitous mistakes
-checked out the cannabis store for sleeping magic for a friend
-saw gorgeous brownstones and beautiful lights
-stopped at a roadside rest that with tons of people who all seemed to be hanging out there as if for an event
-rode up and down a mountain on dark, scary, seemingly never-ending roads with sentry-like bald trees on either side
-told each other stories about childhood and frightening movies
-laughed and ate copious amounts of snacks
-rode through the beginning of a snowstorm
-wished my friends a safe journey the rest of the way to their home
-had milky tea and delicious sfogliatella pastry
Cinse Bonino
2023
