I tried to listen
to a David Bowie song all day
but my two-year-old didn’t nap

so there we were
in traffic
on our way to pick up
her brother from school

and she has my iPhone
listening to YouTube versions
of Wheels on the Bus
but none of them are right

I no like this one too

she cries
and I offer fruit
then crackers
then cake

but nothing is working
and then she drops the phone
which makes her really cry
and I almost yell
but instead I start singing
as loud as I can

David Bowie’s on the bus
and he sings so loud
he sings so loud
he sings so loud

this makes her suddenly quiet
then she laughs
and sings along too
laughing each time I add
a new verse

and when we pick up my son
we are still singing it
and dancing like monkeys in our seats

who’s Davey Bowie

he asks and I tell him
he was one of the greats

and I wonder later how Bowie
would have handled all that
with his own kids

of course I’ll never know
but I suspect
he would have
appreciated
the spectacle.