By: Chuck Orloski

The Scranton school bus driver smiled
while N. Main and Parker Street traffic light
turned green and he proceeded uphill –
the toughest left turn on Hoppy’s route!
He turned scorn away from illegally parked cars,
he forgave those who threw him “the finger,”
he regretted how motorists failed to stop
when school bus activated 8-way flashing lights.

In June, Hoppy must undergo prostrate surgery,
and soon he’ll offer a teary farewell to all
elementary students who he really loved.
He often broke School District rules,
bought kids Dunkin’ Donuts, gave boys baseball cards,
the girls got plastic necklaces, stuffed animals,
like the ones inside Price Chopper vending machines.

Hoppy never married, rumor is that he never dated
except for one sad time at Taylor Senior prom.
For 40 years, the school bus kids were his;
at every stop home, he’d open automatic door,
tell kids, “God bless you, God bless you, ”
while many parents preferred Hoppy to just
“shut up and leave higher beings in the bus yard.”

“Higher beings, higher beings,”
Hoppy feared the ones who ran Scranton Tomorrow!
And now, “Voices from Harrisburg On-High
wants school districts to obtain busing bids?
Hmph, put more money into chaotic classrooms
and possibly replace my company, lose my job?” 1.
Heartsick, he witnessed kids learn their lessons
but most had forgotten how to sing (united),
“O My Darling Clementine.”

Upon hospital gurney (on way to surgery),
Hoppy had a 1984-49er vision of the future.
Suddenly, an epidemic of bankrupt US public schools!
To cut-out all Middlemen including Halliburton,
an imaginary POTUS mandated all school districts
to utilize US Army National Guard personnel
and fleets of vintage “Deuce-and-a-half’s”
for transporting public kids to schools.
From Bully Quayle Pulpit,
“Ask not how your Empire gets you to school…,
but ask why you go to school in your Empire!”
Huh?
Wheels on Hoppy’s bus go round-and-round
and the last thing he heard, an anesthesiologist voice,
“All aboard, all aboard, and God bless the prostrate USA!”

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/school-bus-costs-bring-contract-bidding-call-1.2042125