Preface

Tonight, as we were people-watching, Justin mentioned how much he liked seeing buses drive by. Late at night, when it’s dark, the lit interiors of buses provide an interesting snapshot, what Justin described as “a moving stage.”

When he said that, I immediately thought of a two poems. One was written by someone I knew while I was in grad school, a poet named Terrance Hayes. I found it remarkable that I remembered his poem after so many years, but it’s a testament to how strong a poem it is – that a slight mention of one of its core images made it come right back to my mind, instantly.

The other poem was by Yehuda Amichai, whose poems to me I remember almost as stories told by a close friend.

Given both poems, one is told from inside a bus – the other, from the outside. When Justin pointed out a brightly-lit bus as it drove by, I thought of both poets, of both poems.

I thought this worth noting.