Bring Back the Poetry

Photo Credit: Bart.Gov
 
There was a time when BART, the San Francisco Bay Area Transit System, offered poetry to its passengers. Below is a poem from an unknown author featured back in those days:

like a child
who tore a twig
and planted it
in a dixie cup full of dirt
no seeds, no roots, no hole for draining
because he could not bear to wait —
each time i am foolishly surprised
it withers without blooming

In one of her letters, Emily Dickinson said, “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” This little gem most definitely fits the bill.

Sometimes, simple is simply the best. Written using ordinary words, it’s a poem that engages us. It reinforces the idea that full commitment is necessary to achieve the desired end. Anything less than that can lead to disappointment. If somebody knows the identify of the poet, please let me know so he or she can get the proper credit.

It was cool for BART to promote a bit of culture and literary experience in the past. I don’t know what stopped the transit authorities from doing it, but I do hope it wasn’t for lack of public interest. Should they bring it back, it’ll be a welcome diversion from the usual advertisements and notices displayed on its cars.

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