ENCOUNTER
Then, in the bus where strange eyes are believed to burn
down into separate depths, ours mingled, lured
out of the crowd like wings--and as fast, as blurred.
We brushed past the others and rose. We had flight to learn,
single as wings, till we saw we could merge with a turn,
arching our gazing together. We formed one bird,
focussed, attentive. Flying in silence, we heard
the air past our feathers, the wind through our feet, and the churn
of wheels in the dark. Now we have settled. We move
calmly, two balanced creatures. Opened child,
woman or man, companion with whom I’ve flown
through this remembering, lost, incarnate love,
turning away, we will land, growing more wild
with solitude, more alone, than we could have known.
From Spells: New and Selected Poems by Annie Finch (Wesleyan University Press, 2013).
First published in Calendars (Tupelo Press, 2003).
ENCOUNTER (Scanned)
Quick key to scansion symbols:
/ ("wand") indicates a stress. u ("cup") indicates an unstressed syllable. | ("edge") indicates a footbreak demarcating the metrical feet. ( (u) ("ghost cup") indicates a missing unstressed syllable at the beginning or end of a line. # ("rest") indicates a missing syllable mid-line.
The poem is in dactylic pentameter, with the following metrical variations, all of which are common to dactylic meter:
headless lines (beginning with (u), trochees, footless lines (single, ending in (u) or double, ending in (uu)
For more on scansion, see Annie's books on poetics.
/ u u | / u \ | / u u | / x | / (uu)
Then, in the bus where strange eyes are believed to burn
/ u u | / u u | / u | / u | / (uu)
down into separate depths, ours mingled, lured
/ u u | / xu | / u u | / u | / (uu)
out of the crowd like wings−and as fast, as blurred.
( u ) / \ u | / u u | / u u | / u | / (u)
We brushed past the others and rose. We had flight to learn,
/ u u | / u u | / u x=u | / u u | / (u)
single as wings, til we saw we could merge with a turn,
/ u u | / u u | / \ | / u | / (u)
arching our gazing together. We formed one bird,
/ u u | / u | / u u | / u u | / (u)
focused, attentive. Flying in silence, we heard
(u) / u u | / u u | / u u | / u u
the air past our feathers, the wind through our feet, and the
/ (uu)
churn
(u) / u u | / (#) | / u u | / u \ | / (uu)
of wheels in the dark. Now we have settled. We move
/ u \ | / u | / u | / u | / (uu)
calmly, two balanced creatures. Opened child,
/ u u | / u | / u u | / u | / (uu)
woman or man, companion with whom I’ve flown
/ u u| / u u | / u | / u | / (uu)
through this remembering, lost, incarnate love,
/ u u| / u u | / / | u / | / (uu)
turning away, we will land, growing more wild
(u) / u | / u u| / u u | / u | / (uu)
with solitude, more alone, than we could have known.
From Spells: New and Selected Poems by Annie Finch (Wesleyan University Press, 2013).
First published in Calendars (Tupelo Press, 2003).