From
Above
lights
up on a cradled baby, cradled from the rafters, hung from above
swaddled,
eyes wide, independently swinging
the
“baby”:
(loud
wail) waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
who
teaches me about death?
I
said (loud wail) waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
who
teaches me about death?
Will
I just.... know?
Will
I... can I ….. how, how, how will I remember my left from my right
and how will I remember my address and how will I remember the core
democratic values and how will I remember grandma's birthday and how
will I remember that I should try and ask questions noone has ever
asked before? Am I supposed to remember to do that? Or just do that?
Am I supposed to do that? I want to do that. How will I decide what
color my hair should be when I can choose whatever color I want? and
how will I know what earrings to wear in my school picture and how
will I know how to plan to say no to that nice boy who is probably
gay if he asks me to prom because I think that the cute troubled boy
will ask me and how will I justify not going to high school dances
because noone ended up wanting to take me and how will I understand
confidence and how will I find any sort of understanding when i'm
shut in this tiny world of tiny understandings that don't answer a
fucking single one of my questions? Why did you put me here?
I
said waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
why
did you put me here
I
said waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
how
will I waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
know
about death
how
will you teach me what you don't know? HOW DARE YOU!?!?!
how
will I
how
do you
why
can't I
I
think
I
must
just
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
downstage,
lights up on an elderly couple, the “baby” swings”
Mrs:
hmmmmm
Mr:
yes, dear?
Mrs:
what?
Mr:
you said...?
Mrs:
oh, just, hmmmm
Mr:
well?
Mrs:
well?
Mr:
well, hmmm, what?
Mrs:
well, honey
Mr:
yes, what is it
Mrs:
I was just wondering...why we got married
Mr:
why we...
Mrs:
why we got married
Mr:
um, i'm sorry, is something wrong dear?
Mrs:
not at all
Mr:
I'm gonna wash those pans, I am, I just...
Mrs:
Stop, what, no
Mr:
oh, I, just, what's wrong, what's going on
Mrs:
I, well, no, I was just wondering your answer
Mr:
to why we got married?
Mrs:
yes
Mr:
because we loved each other
Mrs:
love
Mr:
of course
Mrs:
remarkably
Mr:
defying statistics
Mrs:
remarkably
Mr:
without a doubt
Mrs:
but why did we ever
Mr:
to have a family
Mrs:
could we not have done so without?
Mr:
the bond
Mrs:
could we not have...
Mr:
through sickness and health
Mrs:
to death do us part
Mr:
to death do us part
Mrs:
couldn't we have just
Mr:
we weren't ready to break rules
Mrs:
love
Mr:
just enough love to follow the rules
Mrs:
and without the rules?
Mr:
without the rules?
Mrs:
did we need the rules? What if we had no rules? What if we were
pushed into a life together without the expectations, without the
boundaries, without all the what happens what shoulds that apparently
become our anecdotes and our what we've dones and our fucking lives?
Huh? What if we had none of that? Did we have enough love to go
around? Without barriers? Without rules and without the befores and
the afters, if it was just then if it was just then and now and right
at this particular, were we ready? Were we invested, were we right
for this choice, who is right for this choice? Was this succumbing to
something? And we're going to be gone, we'll be gone, we'll be gone
and somewhere or nowhere and how can I take this breath and the next
breath and know that... (breaths in and out, in and out)
Mr:
...this is about her, isn't it?
Mrs:
Having a granddaughter makes me sad.... having a granddaughter makes
me scared
Mr:
Me too
Mrs:
Okay, then.
The
“baby”:
I,
I, I just want to know if, if, if,
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah