Academic’s poetry on the platform brightens commuters journey

A Coventry University academic has attempted to brighten commuters’ journeys through creating a collection of short poems, which are currently displayed regionally on Network West Midlands transport services.

Aysar Ghassan—an Automotive and Transport Design lecturer—conceived the project through combining a passion for the written word with his professional interest in transport systems.

Aysar’s work conveys the day-to-day experiences of those of us who use public transport in verse.

If you would like to get involved with the Poetry On the Network campaign you can do so by submitting your own work to the Network West Midlands website.

Examples of Aysar’s work can be seen below:

Speaking on what prompted the project, Aysar said: 

Poetry on the Network came as a result of a serendipitous meeting with Laura Anderson from Centro at last year’s Godiva Festival. I proposed that some poetry might brighten up commuters’ journeys on the public transport network. Laura was open to the idea so I went away and wrote some verses. 

Pretty much everyone uses public transport, be it every day or once in a while. We’re all creating stories or drifting off into daydreams every time we’re sat on a bus. But most of the time, our thoughts disappear into the ether. I wanted to write a few snippets that I hope lots of people may relate to.

The best thing about the project is that anyone can have a go at writing a poem, of telling a story or recounting a daydream. And you never know, you may get to see it in print…”