From 17C.

I sit across the aisle from another writer:
a middle-aged woman with largely written
letters. LGDP...
Her scrawl resembles Janny's: messy, but elegant
beginning largely, then fading into smaller letters.
She holds pages and pages of lined paper,
off-white and yellow, and a
PAD of paper instead of a spiral or something round.
One page, without lines, she holds in her right hand
as she writes on the pad with her left.
Is she copying something down?

The one page has writing in small blocks
around the page.I am fascinated by her style.
I haven't the slightest idea what she is
recording, but the style of her physical writing
is magnificent, so different from my own.


Polly Larabee says her stationery, her letterhead, her title.
I want some for myself: CLAIRE SORENSEN, in bold.
I long to find some writings of hers, of Polly's.
In a blog, a book, anywhere.

I want to speak with all these people.
We are seated in a long line of short rows:
A B C D E

Who is the makeupless girl in seat D with the
lavender bandanna, sweet Keens and a packed Dakine?
What is the story of the woman with
the short un-dyed bob and the lime
green purse?

Woman One: her bag is large
and rectangular with a marvelously
wide space. Two large handles, thin and
maroon. The bag is green like an olive
and worn from much use.
It is filled with torn, school-ruled pages,
notebooks with pens in the spiral and
bright yellow and orange folders.

Her hair is brown, darker than mine,
and parted in the middle.
It is mostly straight, but waves
as it reaches her shoulders.
Her slacks are gray, but look comfortable.
Lime green boots peek from the hems--
they point subtly and have a slight heel.
It is chunky.
She is scribbling like I am.
Oh, the rush.

We have both continued with our
laps as tabletops, the pilot having
given the announcement of descent.
She organizes. I use my peripheral.

Post-its, fabulous wedding band.
No ballpoint, a legitimate writing
utensil. Does she lose her's too?
Invest in some of these. You can buy more.
Smooth ink, jet black, they say
you can write faster with them
and that your hand doesn't get so tired.
_____________________________________
I like the way my writing is evolving. I have more to say, or I've just realized the words inside. I no longer write straight up and down, perfectly shaped and rounded. My d's are loopy, my i's hardly dotted. I cross my z's and my 7's--thank you Austria.

I am freeing my voice. Making it honest, true, just me. No more pretending.