Two Poems by Jennifer Gurney

The First Time I Took A Bus

The first time I took a bus I was four.
It was a big mistake for my mom to put me on a bus alone.
The driver said if we rode to the lake for swim lessons.
We had to ride home that way too.
So I got off, because I was meeting my mom and brother at the lake.
I was only following directions.
I walked home, found the hidden key, and let myself in.
I didn’t answer the phone when my mom called, because I wasn’t supposed to.
I didn’t answer the door when my neighbor came to check, because I wasn’t supposed to.
And when she called through the door, I finally let her in.
She called my mom at the lake and got it sorted.
It was kind of a big deal, being before cell phones and all.
I guess I misspoke, since I didn’t actually take a bus that time, after all.
It was the time I almost took a bus.

The Sound of Winter

When I step onto the bus and quiet myself
I can hear the sound of winter
The car wheels spinning through the melty slush
Following behind the snow plows, well, plowing
The laughter caught in the scarf wrapped around your face
As you laugh at an inside joke you both share
The ringing of the bells at the Salvation Army kettle
And the clank of a coin tossed in
A train whistle in the distance
Sounding as hollow and bereft as me
The silent wish made by my heart
Of one more Christmas together
The sound of my tears on my cheeks
As I begin the mourning of you

Jennifer Gurney lives in Colorado where she teaches, paints, writes and hikes. Her poetry has appeared internationally in a wide variety of journals, including Sparks of Calliope, The Ravens Perch, HaikUniverse, Haiku Corner, Cold Moon Journal, Scarlet Dragonfly and The Haiku Foundation. Jennifer’s haiku has recently won the 6th Basho-an International English Haiku Competition and was recently selected for the Golden Triangle Haiku Poetry Competition in DC. Her poetry has also been accepted into the Ars Nova Shared Vision project in Colorado and will be turned into a choral piece and performed in a series of concerts in the Denver area this June.