Writings

Although I, naturally, do not consider myself, by any stretch of the imagination, a writer–I do love words. And I love playing with words. To me, using words to create something almost abstract, something that sparks the (often comic) imagination is not very different from writing music. So here, then, are some tidbits of recent writing.

(An unfinished play)

Cast of Characters

Tom, a boy

Tom, a girl

Girl, Tom (the boy’s) brother

Tomboy, Tom (the girl’s )sister

Tommy, Girl’s dog

Thom, an accountant

Boy, Thom’s ex-wife

Jared, a restaurant

Mr. Ralph, the ghost of Tommy’s grandmother

Syracuse, Tom (the boy’s) pre-school janitor

Enid, Tom (the girl’s) pre-school janitor’s common-law wife

21 snowy owls

Elena, Sacha’s hairdresser

Scene 1, Act III

The stage is set. There are knick-knacks strewn everywhere. 12 Snowy owls fly silently from stage right to stage left (as seen from above). At far right and a bit to the left is a 40-metre high industrial chimney stack made of 19th century English red brick. It is, for the time being, smoking. The audience members sit in uncomfortable wooden chairs, 19 to a row, 18 rows making a total of 217 audience members, in not-quite semi-circular fashion facing the stage. They are dressed in black and will be invisible for the duration of the performance.

When the curtain rises, we see Tom skipping rope and Tom silently sitting and watching. Tommy runs from left to right (as seen from above) chasing the snowy owls.

Through loudspeakers (placed in front of the audience) we hear a distant and heated phone conversation between Boy and Jared.

Jared   Seven-thirty?

Boy      That’s right.

Jared   And that was for how many people?

Boy      (even angrier now) 4 people.

Jared   Romantic dinner for two?

Boy      (fuming) Something like that.

Jared   Any birthdays?

Boy      (beside herself with rage) Just the one.

Jared   Next time then.

Boy      Thank you.

Jared   We hope to see you again soon.

Boy      (slamming the phone down) Take care.

Scene 4, Act I

Tom is still skipping rope and Tom is still silently watching. Tom is approximately 7 years, 9 months old. Tom is 2 years his senior, minus 3 years, 5 months. Tom is fairly plain-looking, tight-lipped, reddish hair, dark beard. He has a light-brown mole on his left forearm of which he is not embarrassed. He is sipping a cherry coke Slurpee. He resembles Sandra Bullock.

 Tom, on the other hand, is more street-wise, likes crossword puzzles and from the audience’s left, resembles Karl Malden. She is constantly brushing back her long blond hair and chewing on a 6HB pencil that she stole from Syracuse…New York.

Scene 1, Act VII

(mood lighting)

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof!

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof!

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof!

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof!

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof!

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof!

Mr. Ralph       Woof!

Tommy           Woof

Mr. Ralph       Woof!!

Tommy           Woof…

Mr. Ralph       …woof…

Tommy           wo-

Mr. Ralph       (interrupting) Woof!

Scene VII, Act 2

Girl      (caught in mid-sentence)…an….accountant…at the American National Bank of Fort Lauderdale.

Thom  (caught in mid-sentence) …at….the Farmers State Bank of Dorset Minnesota?

Girl      (caught in mid-sentence) …in the new Greyhound bus depot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Thom  (caught in mid-to-quarter-sentence) …at…the Cherry Hill Shopping Center, Cherry Hill, New Jersey?

Girl      (caught in his previous mid-sentence) …between… Roanoke and Lynchburg on route 460 west, Bedford, Virginia.

Thom  (caught at the beginning of her sentence) ….And the space bubble dividers?

(Elena weeps)

(blackout)(and almost immediately harsh lighting!)

Ten snowy owls dressed as dromedaries recede into the distance.

Act IV, Scene 9

Syracuse         I’ve never been married.

Enid                Who told you?

Syracuse         You know you can’t deny not knowing.

Enid                Does Tom know?

Syracuse         I’ve never been engaged either and besides, that was years ago!

Enid                What about Tom?

Syracuse         And don’t pretend I never knew you made it all up!

Enid                What? Looking like that?     

Syracuse         Not knowing was the hardest part.

Enid                You knew that Thom was responsible for the cake debacle?

Syracuse         Girl knew Tom for a lot longer than both had ever heard of either of them.

Enid                But that ride home from the restaurant, you’re telling me that

                        wasn’t you?

Syracuse         Knowing something doesn’t make it worth remembering.

Enid                So who spilled the beans?

Syracuse         Never wanted to either, not without being in on it.

Enid                Was it Tomboy?

Syracuse         Girl was always one step too many from being who she never really pretended to be.

Enid                That’s her mother, if you don’t mind!

Syracuse         Then why not?

Enid               

Scene 9, Act IV

Heretofore unseen stage hands who will earlier have been recognized as ushers roll a gigantic rotary-dial telephone on stage. They carefully make sure that its wheels are secure and give the lighting technician a thumbs-up. They leave the  stage as they came, walking backwards as if pulling a gigantic rotary-dial telephone.

It is silent for too long. Suddenly, a phone is heard very quietly.

Jared               Hello, yes I’d like to lodge a complaint please.

Syracuse         Just the two of you?

Jared               That’s right, last thursday.

Syracuse         Whom may I say is calling? 

Jared               Around 2 o’clock, yes.

(to be continued.…)

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2 poems

.

at all.

without the tomatoes.

in the first place.

the pain.

300 metres.

they say, while it lasts.

will, before him.

to and fro.

the pharmacist goes.

of many white children.

thing coming.

side by side.

penguins at all.

the tomatoes later.

when I told you to.

grey at most.

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……..

…(    )…

..(!)….(   ?   )…

…….(…)…oh yeah     how are your feet?

oh yeah  they’re better

well it’s not the muscles it’s the tendons

that’s what he said so it’s gonna take a while

    uh-huh   (    )…

but it’s okay, they still hurt

(    )…

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