A Short Ride by Mike Barker I climbed aboard your bus, just a quick shuttle from here to there, just a few minutes into madness... Along the way, you opened up your broken dreams, and told us of the perpetual machine you'd built! but no one cared. You turned the corner so carefully... And then you shared your hidden fear, that they have antigravity, molecular dup...duplicators (just like Startrek!) and other secrets fey and strange. that's when you stopped for the red light, and glanced back at our faces, before you went on... But they want to milk us so they won't tell us no no, not a word... then you speeded up and merged to the left... And then you spoke of hope of how we drove a horse and buggy just a hundred years ago and now look at all we've got! you passed the crowd and signalled a turn... then as we leaned you whispered the news of the alien crash from which we've stolen all our technology. and as we turned into the lot... You told us of your favorite joy, that when you opened the cover of a common microwave, you found there lies--a radiation warning! you pulled in to the curb and there you let us out at last... muttering against the thankyou's "they're radioactive you know so I had to stop using them." I wonder now, as I remember your dreams and fears, your hopes and joy, who hurt you so? what turned your head and taught you that they hate you so? and I shudder.   BIO for Mike Barker Mike Barker enjoys making a living with computers, and has been leading programming efforts for twenty years. However, as "tink" in the virtual writers' workshop of WRITERS@mitvma.mit.edu, he also enjoys writing. A self-diagnosed shy extrovert, he tries hard to promote communications. He also admits that it isn't easy, but you just have to keep trying. The fun comes in the mixing and the baking, not just in the sweet desserts of success. mbarker@MIT.EDU http:////web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/writers.html The Springs of Writing in Autumn 1997 Moondance.