Bart Poems: Poetry for the People
My BART POEMS project began in 2010 when the company I worked for moved headquarters from downtown San Francisco to an office building in the far-reaching suburbs of the East Bay, changing my daily commute radically.
Instead of enjoying a 15 minute leisurely stroll to work, I was facing a 3-hour daily schlep on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from my home near 16th and Mission to Pleasant Hill. 13 stations. Twice a day.
"This 3-hour commute," I said to myself, "is bullshit."
And then one morning during my second week, while scribbling an angst-ridden, anti-commute rant in my notebook, I looked up and noticed a young man clad in a crisply pressed light blue shirt, eating a banana, listening to headphones, reading on his phone.
Now, mind you, he wasn't doing anything remarkable. Most riders read or listened to headphones on the train. But, for some reason, I sort of fell in love with this guy. Without a thought, I dashed off a little poem for him, then lifted my notebook, positioned my camera phone and snapped this image.
And viola! That's how BART Poems came to life.
In an instant, my perspective changed. Instead of dreading each morning's BART ride, I boarded the train with eager anticipation.
Who would I see?
What would they be wearing?
Would they read? Phone or Book?
Would they sleep? Talk to each other?
Or just stare off in a sleepy, dreamlike state?
What words would come rushing forth in my notebook?
Everything was unknown, all was new.
Each rider, new.
Each poem, new.
Each moment, a new moment.
Over the next 1-1/2 years, I made 80 poems for my fellow passengers. I never shared any of these poems with them. The act of shared creation was enough. I did send them loving vibes telepathically. I hope they felt it. I'm pretty sure they did. I mean, how could they not? Just look at them!
photographic and mixed media collage
on 15'x5' gallery board
2024
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