A Poem by Dr. Barry Lubetkin / New York City
The bus is big, passengers loud, unruly.
You are the driver, you know the route,
are dedicated to the destination,
unchanged for centuries.
A passenger shows you an old tattered map
and cries out
“This is the wrong road, exit!”
You remain committed.
Another screams
“Why did I pay more than what was posted?
Stop the bus!”
You remain committed.
Two men argue about the temperature.
“It’s too damn hot! Let me out!”
You remain committed.
A woman yells, “This is not a real bus.
Get me off this spaceship!”
You remain committed.
A hand grabs your shoulder.
“You aren’t from around here,
Where’s the regular driver?”
You remain committed.
“We took a vote” a big man with a knife says.
“Turn around and go back!”
You remain committed. Your destination is beyond the next hill.
You breathe deeply and announce
“Folks, we are arriving at your village.
We will resolve all of your issues soon”
Then your heart pounds and your face flushes,
your mouth forms a scream.
The roadside sign is still wet
from dripping paint:
THE VILLAGE OF DEMOCRACY HAS CLOSED.
PLEASE CALL 911 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
Barry Lubetkin, Ph.D. is the co-director and co-founder of the Institute for Behavior Therapy in New York City. The Institute for Behavior Therapy is the oldest private cognitive behavior therapy center in the United States.