The Number 24 Bus by Paul Hayward

The Number 24 Bus by Paul Hayward

Life is like a journey on the number 24 bus,
So welcome aboard, young one; come, sit here with the rest of us.
Let’s hope you’re going to be on here for more than just a while.
Look out of the window, young one, and enjoy every single mile.

Embrace each milestone, young one, each stop along the way.
Immerse yourself in childhood, each innocent, lovely day.
Think nothing of the future, of the long road up ahead.
Live each second, each minute, each turn of the wheel instead.

Don’t pace the aisle, young one, yearning for miles to pass,
Until you reach the terminus when finally at last,
That day is here, the day for which you’ve really always strived,
The perfect day you’ve longed for when you’ve finally arrived.

Maybe the end of school days or the day of graduation,
That’s when you’ll be happy, when you arrive at that station,
So roll on the miles until that blessed day.
That’s when life will come together; that’s when you’ll make hay.

Or maybe it’s when you meet “the one,” when you settle down.
Yes, that’s the time to celebrate when you reach that town.
Or maybe life won’t really start until a family comes along,
Or is to pray for retirement so really, very wrong?

The journey will be sad at times, for stops will come along,
When those we love will get off; at times we must stay strong,
As we carry on without them, as they pass the baton on,
But they are there outside the bus; they’re never really gone.

So gazing out the windscreen up front at the road as it bends,
Don’t think about tomorrow, wondering where the journey ends.
Instead, look for today’s colors, those shades of greenery,
Of all the hues along life’s road, the breathtaking scenery.

Don’t miss them, young one, planning for the destination.
This bus will not reverse again once it reaches the final station.

Written by Paul Hayward

#BeGoalden