By Andrew Thornett

On the LRO Busman’s Holiday Summer 2026.

I ambled, I hurried, I strolled with delight,
Then rushed to the station at dawn’s early light.
I boarded, departed, proceeded, set out,
With a bulging, battered rucksack and no room for doubt.

The speedy train clattered, then rumbled along,
While sleepy commuters all silently yawned.
It accelerated, glided, then slowed with a sigh,
As I watched, wandered, and dreamed with one eye.

Then out to a taxi—how nimble, how brisk!
The driver was cheerful, though driving was frisked…
He swerved, he merged, he overtook a van,
Declaring, “We’ll get there as fast as we can!”

Next came the coach, enormous and grand,
That trundled and traversed the length of the land.
It rolled, wound, cruised, and meandered with grace,
At a gloriously unpredictable, unhurried pace.

Then into the airport I marched with a grin,
Checked in, queued up, and was finally let in.
I shuffled, sauntered, queued, waited, then flew,
On a gleaming, gigantic, majestic sky-blue.

The aircraft climbed, banked, cruised, and descended,
While peanuts and tiny drinks endlessly blended.
It taxied, landed, then parked with a cheer—
“Washington Dulles! At last you are here!”

Another taxi then darted away,
On a twisting, busy, sun-dappled highway.
The driver navigated, threaded, and zipped,
While I tried not to think how my stomach had flipped.

At last in a car I motored westbound,
Where rolling, wooded hills quietly crowned.
We climbed, descended, crossed, and wound,
Till Green Bank’s great valley at last could be found.

There the telescopes listened, so silent, so vast,
To whispers from galaxies forged in the past.
My journey was lengthy, epic, joyful, and long—
Though I wondered… had I travelled the whole way… wrong?

For next year, I’ve planned with remarkable flair:
A train to a taxi to coach to plane to taxi to car…
…to another taxi… then bus… then chair!

The universe waited with infinite grace,
While I simply tried keeping up with the pace!

Epilogue:

At journey’s end I smiled with pride,

“I’ve crossed an ocean far and wide!”

The telescope replied, “How nice…

Now wait three hours while we de-ice.”

The galaxies had patiently stayed

For every booking that I’d made.

For stars don’t care if trains are late—

They’ve happily waited eight billion years to date!