MetroRiderLA

This Thursday, April 10th, Metro will be hosting poetry readings at Union Station during rush hour. Starting at 4pm, three poets from the Poetry Society of America (Elena Karina Byrne, Suzanne Lummis, and Marisela Norte) will read selections of their work to commuters. This special event is being held to commemorate 10 years of Poetry in Motion, a program created by the Poetry Society of America that places poetry on our buses and trains where ads might typically be found. Poetry in Motion was first introduced in New York City in 1992, and came to Los Angeles in 1998. There are over 60,000 poetry placards on the interiors of Metro buses.

Of particular interest is poet Marisela Norte, whose work is not only featured on Metro buses, but is written on them! According to her artist statement, Marisela writes most of her East Los Angeles inspired poetry while riding Metro Line 18[PDF] from East LA to Downtown. She doesn’t drive and considers her poetry her vehicle, which is cool enough for me to actually give poetry another chance and check out Marisela and the others Thursday at Union Station.

Image courtesy of iZENstein.

‘Twas the night before Metro

Orange Line began

and all trough my body

I had goosebumps and chills

in anticipation of my very first ride.

I had been thinking

about that very moment

for the last couple of years

ever since I heard

the busway was coming my way.

I can still remember

when I would ride my bike

even drive a car

parallel to the busway

the old right of way.

Just dreaming and waiting

for the day to arrive.

And when they started testing

with no passengers yet

I would stand in awe near the stations

just watching the artics go by.

But alas! The day had arrived

five in the morning

I was ready to board

from Winnetka Station

to NOHO and back.

This feeling of anticipation

I cannot describe

unless you’re a MetroRider

you can’t comprehend.

I’m just waiting

and anticipating

the Gold Line extension

out to East L. A.

Come late 2009

God willing

I’ll sure to be there!!!

© Rogelio Gómez

“Gold Line, Pasadena” Image Courtesy of Nevin.

I leave the house five minutes just before

the scheduled time the bus is set to arrive.

I got my pass, schedules and the map

within my pocket just waiting to board and go.

It’s one more minute

I see it down the street.

It’s right on schedule, not often

but this time has managed to arrive within the slotted time.

I board and grab a book

I’ll read along until I get

to the transfer point so I can get

the Blue Line and then the Red.

I love the Metro if you can’t tell

and try to speak about it to other people

you could say it, I guess

I try my best for them to use it and convert.

© Rogelio Gomez