Wheels on the Bus

A poem reflecting on my lifelong relationship with the nursery rhyme "The Wheels on the Bus."

This is the last poem of the NaPoWriMo 2025 challenge to write a poem a day in April. This is the prompt for April 30.

In his meandering poem, “Grateful Dead Tapes,” poet Ed Skoog riffs on the eponymous tapes that he’s found in a secondhand store, remembering various instances of hearing the band, both live and in recording. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that also describes different times in which you’ve heard the same band or piece of music across your lifetime.

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On sunlit afternoons,  
my mother’s laughter filled rooms,  
her voice lilting—
The wheels on the bus
go round and round—
a gentle soundtrack to my youth;
each line a stepping stone,  
leading me through playgrounds,  
swing sets swaying,  
as I sang along,  
words spilling like secret codes,  
creating a world from its melody.

Years slipped by,  
time’s river seemingly,  
gaining speed;
I found myself a parent,  
little hands clasped in mine;
my daughter’s face aglow,  
eyes sparkling with curiosity,  
as I sang that familiar tune,  
each verse a bridge,  
connecting our hearts,  
wheels spinning,  
joy cascading like a fountain,  
laughter blending with music,  
moments suspended in space.

Then came a day,  
my mother’s eyes closed, face still,
in a room heavy with silence;
grief wrapped around my shoulders,  
humming softly,  
echoing in a quiet dimension,  
that simple song;
a balm for my aching heart,
reminding me of life’s cycles—
one of beginnings and endings—
a melody tracing paths,  
twisting through love and loss;
going round and round,
always whirling,  
always turning, 
always.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed the daily poems. Weekly postings will resume on Saturday, May 3.

Upcoming…

• A poem about unity and activism:

  May Day, 3 May 2025

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