Skip to the content
The Isislogo darklogo light
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR TEAM
  • FICTION
    • POETRY
    • PROSE
  • NON-FICTION
    • FEATURES
    • CULTURE
    • POLITICS
  • MAGAZINE
  • SHOP
The Isis
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR TEAM
  • FICTION
    • POETRY
    • PROSE
  • NON-FICTION
    • FEATURES
    • CULTURE
    • POLITICS
  • MAGAZINE
  • SHOP
June 3, 2017
By Daniel O'Driscoll
Fiction

Cardiff Bus

This piece was incorrectly printed in the Trinity 2017 magazine as being by Brian O’Driscoll. The correct author is Daniel O’Driscoll, from Jesus College. We apologise for this error, and hope you enjoy Dan’s atmospheric portrayal of life on a ‘Cardiff Bus’.

 

Thanks Drive.

Cheers Butt.

Nice one mate.

An adult single please.

I mean, like, yah, I was saying to Delil…

…

Imp’lite shite. Whoxactly do these-up

Their own arses-pricks think they are.

I works evryday. I sees wha they gets

Up to,

On’ere.

Y salfe nesaf  yw

Sevenoaks Park

….

Where’s the Millennium.

Yfed en gloi.

When I was here it was more…real, yah?

Shan’s one’s on the way. It’s a boy.

Your mum.

…

Piss. Tha’s all tha’s outside, piss.

Not th’rlentless drillin of the north,

Na. You don’t get wet through, jus damp.

Soggy.

Charm of the town.

Y salfe nesaf yw

Atlantic Wharf

…

Ta spa.

Thank you driver!

Hark goes th’lark of the Kairdiff Arms Park.

Honestly, such an undiscovered gem!

Shame about the pissheads though.

…

Keep on movin on ini, yeh? Yeh?

Only two more trips to Greyfriars.

I saw the blood spill on St Marys

And Mill, right on down to Chippy Lane.

Y safle nesaf yw

Clarks Pies

…

Ori bro, you okay?

Ta mate.

Arwh, which bus to Rover Way?

When I was young it was Tiger Bay.

Shirley Bassey.

…

Jog on ‘butty’, you’re norin Swans now.

Grangetown ‘strangetown’ you little shits.

Roidhead tha’ keeps on giving it loud.

Scatter your teeth

Every hit.

Y safle nesaf yw

Cathedral Road

….

The Castle of Bute. I saw in my youth.

Birds are bad. I am sad. Bard to bad.

Among the Sheephats and daffs I finds my own truth.

…

Oh Drive sort tha nutter.

…

Last Stop, Central. All out, all out

…

Y safle nesaf… Safle diwethaf.

 

 

 

Illustration: Alex Matraxia

Share
Fiction/Student/writing
Prev article Next article

You may also like

A person's torso surrounded by blue, spiky abstract shapes
August 24, 2021
By Katie Kirkpatrick
AllFictionPoetry
Spaces

At Scouts,  we would bash the trees and see what little creatures fell out: watch them scramble in

Share
Read More
May 6, 2017
By Tom Ball
Fiction
My Sister Says the Strangest Things

Press play to listen the accompanying music as you read… Where was I? On the top of the night

Share
Read More
November 21, 2025
By Laura Brink
FictionShort Fiction
The Oxford Purity Test

☐ Never had an essay crisis? ☐ Published fiction in The Isis? ☐ Haunted by Sylvia’s fig tree

Share
Read More
  • MAGAZINE
  • ABOUT
  • Shop

© Copyright Oxford Student Publications Limited

Website by Jamie Ashley

Magazine made for you.

Featured:
a
Canyon
Of the most prestigious
a
Canyon
And their great benefactors
a
Canyon
Now they will begin the renewal
Elsewhere: