The Other

by Sincuna   May 28, 2014


In a crowded train crammed with people
scuffling each other, like little fishes
caught in a net, slippery in sweat. I stumbled
upon your eyes, darling and jolted, looking at me
as I was looking into you.

Those eyes that are most frightening;
so mysterious and never-ending, like
a Universe expanding.

I could never have guessed what you were thinking,
as I stared at you, curiously, and with courage
because I know you are a mob away
from me, separated by an ocean
of angry strangers glued to the floor. And

that we can never truly meet
face to face, hand in hand, nose to nose,
and person to person. The way
most people meet in real life.

So I continued to stare, never shying away.
And I proceed to judge you,
make stories about you.
Even now,

as I sit in my room,
pack of cigarettes on my table, cold coffee
glinting from the light of my crippled lamp.
I pretend that I've known you,
loved you,
and owned you.

The way we own memories,
the way we distort them,
and make them true.

# 31/12/13

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Latest Comments

  • 10 years ago

    by Maple Tree

    I have read this piece every day since it was nominated and I can truly say I will continue to read it daily. What a beautiful and well written poem this is.

    Often times, we stumble upon a soul that we connect with, either strangers at first glance or long distance meeting. I envisioned a woman on a train, or waiting for a train catching glances... and that sorrowful, gut wrenching love is born...
    This is a poem that can relate to anyone, and technically speaking, the format is graceful and eye catching.

    I can't say enough about this poem except to say, it's Brilliant!

  • 10 years ago

    by Poet on the Piano

    Judging comment:

    The idea of meeting someone new and catching this stranger's eyes on a crowded train is spontaneous and thrilling. I've only been on a train a few times when I was younger, but I can imagine it is a place to dream, meet new people, and be able to reflect. I was actually just told a phrase yesterday that there are no strangers, just un-met friends. The possibilities are endless and in this poem, the author is alive and excited by possibilities. The courage, curiosity and spirit in this poem makes me smile, how looking into one's eyes can create a spark that moves you or stirs your heart in a way no ordinary thing could. The author has quite an imaginative mind, creatively thinking of a story about this person on the train. I think we do that with many people, inviting the idea we will see them again or perhaps that we can easily picture this person sharing a memory with us. Beautifully worded in the last stanza:
    "The way we own memories,
    the way we distort them,
    and make them true."

    There's a sense of mystery in this piece. I think, near the end, that the author is reminiscing on a younger time where this interest could have been a new love.... the last lines remind me how human it is to own what it is not ours or make it seem like it should be ours. Yet the very last line caused me to imagine the author met this person again, maybe in a dream or later in life. And those memories were not pretend, but real, and they were truths that the author could remember lucidly since they were actually experienced. Captivating write! (4)

  • 10 years ago

    by Everlasting

    Congrats on the win. This poem looks so lonely.

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