Strangers no more

Strangers no more.

In the beginning the twenty of us
were just that, strangers on a bus.
It took us, the motley crowd a while,
to know each other’s speech and style.

The tulips of Kukenhof, scores of colors blooming,
winked and welcomed us to their acres charming.
The Swiss Alps, a unique range, snow clad,
their shimmer, a wonder that made us glad.

Constantly thrown into one another’s company
we drank soothing cups of coffee, ate the grainy
Toblorone, diamond-shaped nutty Swiss chocolate.
Old and young let its joy into their being percolate.

We shared the pizza under the leaning tower of Pisa,
guided by an incredibly dynamic sixty-year old, Lisa.
An amazing three-in-one was her comfort tool,
served her as a parasol, walking stick and stool.

She took us over to the Pope’s sacred Vatican.
The Holy Father blessed and inspired us to awaken
from the sloughs of narrow-mindedness and break
the walls of prejudice, love all for humanity’s sake.

The blue and white, stylish, swan-like bus,
brought us to the “ronches” in Paris without fuss.
The factory of scents and the mechanics of glass
awed us, made us proud of man’s craft and class.

By the time we stood looking on the Thames
we were no strangers, we were on first names.
The memorable trip brought a few cultures together.
Despite different backgrounds, we were of a feather.


Third Place winner in Inspirations.