From the Backseat of a Bus

by Jeremy Mifsud

In From the Backseat of a Bus, Jeremy Mifsud writes about a variety of experiences that occurred during his commutes: encounters with bus passengers, observations of the outside world, and introspections.

Genres: Poetry

14 pages, Digital Chapbook

First published July 29, 2019

About the author

Jeremy Mifsud (they/them) is a queer and autistic poet from Malta, currently residing in Spain. Their poetry explores personal experiences, and often revolves around themes of queer identity, neurodivergence, and mental health. Through sharing poetry, Jeremy hopes that their words resonate through shared emotions.

Amongst their published works, you will find Only Love Can Save Me (2024), From the Backseat of a Bus (Ghost City Press, 2019) and Welcome to the Sombre Days (2018). Their poems also feature in tends of journals and anthologies.

Outside of the literary world, Jeremy is a growth-obsessed individual seeking to learn and improve. They work in the field of Customer Success, and consistently engage in activities that hope to leave a positive influence.

Reviews

[Carla Sofia Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun and delightful read that manages to ask serious questions while playfully bending form! Each poem shows the story of a single bus trip, and Mifsud does so with wry humor at times, dark poignancy at others. What I really love is how the poems tie together into a greater public transit journey-song. They make the reader look head-on at the backseat of the bus, looking at intersections of race, gender, and class as they play out in the sphere of public transit. Also, Mifsud is so skilled at enjambment: I love the clever bend and tilt of the lines, imitating the movement of a bus on city lanes, sometimes smooth, often jolting. This is a little book that packs a punch- now go read it!

[Clive Sciberras · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend!!

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeremy Mifsud's microchapbook has a specific theme revolving around bus trips. The brevity & succinctness thru each piece serves the small collection of poems well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Amy Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. As someone who frequently uses buses, a lot of these poems really resonated with me.