The Woman Sitting on the Bus

Written July 5, 2026

Minding her own business,

A woman sits on the bus.

Destination in mind,

She was trying to go about her day

Which has now been interrupted

By her fellow passengers.

Surrounding her are men,

Their faces covered in white,

Concealing their identity,

Attempting to put up a patriot front.

The only things that covers her face

Are bravery and exasperation.

She has an option —

She could move closer to the window,

Get off a stop earlier,

Cower in her seat,

But she refuses to surrender her power

Or beg for mercy from the enemy.

This image, this bus, is not new.

Rosa Parks sat on the bus once.

It too was filled with hate.

The confederate flag patched on their arms

Has reigned over horrifying acts of racism

History has also conveniently forgotten.

America, you have driven this bus

For 250 years,

When will you bring it in for repairs?

Tell racism to take a hike?

Create safer spaces for women,

People of color, and the LGBTQ+?

From the window,

The woman thinks about the fireworks

Celebrating today — 4th of July,

But she knows the truth:

Fireworks are merely a shiny coat of paint

Covering the truth.

The real 250 needs an intervention

More than a celebration.

People say “we have come this far”

They are not wrong

We have come this far

Away from who we were meant to be.

Please America, It is time to hop on a new bus.

If enough of us demand a new route,

We could get to where we want to be.

To do that, we need to pay attention

To all of the passengers

Including the woman sitting on the bus.