Vinita Fonteyn
Vinita Fonteyn (nee Deshpande) grew up in various suburbs of Sydney and Wollongong and wrote her first poem at the age of nine, which was about deer living on the mountain near her home. She has lived in the Surry Hills area on and off since 1992 and this poem was written in her most recent stint back in the area. Whilst studying at the University of Sydney in 1996 her poetry was published in Tangent, an anthology of women’s writing. Vinita currently lives in Leichhardt and works as a clinical pharmacist in a general practice in Mt. Druitt. She enjoys listening to people tell their stories. She is inspired by nature and is passionate about the environment. She wishes she had more time for poetry, embroidery, drawing and dancing.
vinitafonteyn.wixsite.com/siberryreve
See Vinita's complete contribution to Village Voices below:
Bus Lady
Bus lady, I see you again.
In the past you smoked, you walked and from behind thick glasses and quite a large limp, you chatted once with me.
In the summertime, with a walking stick and flamingo pink floral dress, you were quite flirtatious with the bus driver, in an individual kind of way.
With one hip in the air quite by accident, with smiles and flashing blue eyes, anyone would have thought you were oblivious to your disability
Moving back to the area recently, I wondered if I still might see you one day, and then there you were, in a wheelchair and a beanie, cigarette in hand.
I look at you and you looked at me, I walked on by as you waited for the bus again.