The man in 10B kneads his hands and closes
his eyes; his jaw line tenses as the plane
begins its desperate taxiing to gain
what speed it can. 10A already dozes,
but takeoff’s test of buoyancy exposes
10B’s anxiety. Arthritis pain
or circulation defects might explain
the kneading—but more likely it discloses
involuntary efforts to keep calm,
to rub out fear. I feel it from 10C:
although “hello” is nearly all we’ve said,
I sense the presence of another palm
as sweaty as my own. We tacitly
share perfectly companionable dread.
Flying Companion
– July 1, 2008
