Two men running away from empire into truth...
(Lights rise on a bare stage. Lightening flashes are seen slashing across the sky. Soon a distant rumble like that of an advancing line of military tanks can be heard far off in the distance behind the audience. Two men enter running from the back of the house to the stage. They stop center. As the action takes place the rumbling grows ever so louder.)
Open the play [+/-]
MAN 1: It hasn’t a heart!
MAN 2: It’s too monstrous!
MAN 1: It hasn’t a heart!
MAN 2: Its fire raining down upon us!
MAN 1: Upon the Maroun al-Ras and-
MAN 2: -Bint Jubayl-
MAN 1/MAN 2: -And Ayta al-Sha’b!
MAN 1: It hasn’t a heart!
MAN 2: The great steel birds far, far away, soaring high above-
MAN 1: -far from the fires of resistance fighters in resolute Lebanon!
MAN 2: The great vengeance pours forth over the bodies of our tender, sleeping children.
MAN 1: The blameless children.
MAN 2: They were merely seeking safety in the House of the Disabled.
MAN 1: In Qana. Yes.
MAN 2: They were fugitives from the hall of guns.
MAN 1: Only to be lifted skyward by the hell of the steel bird.
MAN 2: Globalization. Damn globalization’s strife…
MAN 1: It strives to make us all alike.
MAN 2: Alike through consumption.
MAN 1: It has no heart. The world watches as they murder and murder and murder.
(Man 2 suddenly is motionless.)
MAN 2: We are all heartless. All of us are heartless as we watch them pulverize children. Snatch every vein that pulses in Lebanon. Bloodbath after bloodbath and we- we- I- I- I watch as the whole world watches!
MAN 1: My friend, we are not responsible for this.
MAN 2: Not in horror, in monstrous apathy! Massacre after massacre-
MAN 1: Those responsible are tucked neatly away wrapped in new money.
MAN 2: We- I- I am the monstrous beast responsible for watching the horror!
MAN 1: War is their paycheck, not ours. You’re not making any sense.
MAN 2: The Terror just grows and grows!
MAN 1: The money tree just grows and grows!
MAN 2: We all feed, one way or another upon the blood and meat of tender children.
MAN 1: No, we do not! What is wrong with you?
MAN 2: Why must the world- why must I just watch?
MAN 1: They haven’t a heart! You lost everybody you knew! You are innocent! They've no heart!
MAN 2: You always say that, but they must! We must! I must!
MAN 1: They will ignore our pleas in order to flatter the legend of iron and fire! Qana 1996 and now Qana 2006! What is wrong with you?
MAN 2: Much water has flowed between our bridges.
MAN 1: Apparently not enough to wash them of hatred.
MAN 2: All that water and we've not drank of its hope.
MAN 1: No! Ten years is a long time to you and I! It is but a moment to the beast with its steel planes, tanks and bombs!
MAN 2: We are all guilty for the beast’s growth. I am guilty too!
MAN 1: No! Shut up! Shut up! You’re not making any sense! You and I are not responsible for this! They! They are responsible! They demolish houses right on top of the living! They burn the small bodies of children in Lebanon and Palestine! Tens of thousands of tons of bombs brought from the remote, murderous lands of Columbus, snatching the souls of millions from this land! The beast shows no mercy! Do you hear me? You are innocent! You and I are innocent!
(The rumbling now seems to be upon them as the ground shakes and the sound pierces the air.)
MAN 1: (Running away.) No! Oh, God! Run! Come on! They are upon us! Run! Run! Run! Run! It hasn't a heart! (Man 1 is gone.)
(The noise is almost unbearable and the quaking is intense. Man 2 turns to face the audience. He tears off his shirt and holds his arms out to his side as he drops to his knees.)
MAN 2: HERE I AM! IT IS I! I AM THE ONE YOU SEEK! MY HANDS WERE NOT PARALYZED, MY MOUTH NOT MUTE AS I WATCHED THE BLOOD FILL THE STREETS! I AM NOT INNOCENT! I WATCHED ALL THOSE TINY BODIES WITH THEIR BEAUTIFUL FACES- BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN AND I WATCHED! I WATCHED THEM FLY APART! I WATCHED THEM FLY APART! I HAVEN'T A HEART! I AM THE ONE YOU SEEK! I WATCHED THEM! I HAVEN'T A HEART!
(Man 2 continues to yell and cry the last line over and over as the shaking and noise seems to overtake him and lights fade to black as he screams “I have no heart!” one last time.)
Copyright © 2006 mrp / thepoetryman
(Lights rise on a bare stage. Lightening flashes are seen slashing across the sky. Soon a distant rumble like that of an advancing line of military tanks can be heard far off in the distance behind the audience. Two men enter running from the back of the house to the stage. They stop center. As the action takes place the rumbling grows ever so louder.)
Open the play [+/-]
MAN 1: It hasn’t a heart!
MAN 2: It’s too monstrous!
MAN 1: It hasn’t a heart!
MAN 2: Its fire raining down upon us!
MAN 1: Upon the Maroun al-Ras and-
MAN 2: -Bint Jubayl-
MAN 1/MAN 2: -And Ayta al-Sha’b!
MAN 1: It hasn’t a heart!
MAN 2: The great steel birds far, far away, soaring high above-
MAN 1: -far from the fires of resistance fighters in resolute Lebanon!
MAN 2: The great vengeance pours forth over the bodies of our tender, sleeping children.
MAN 1: The blameless children.
MAN 2: They were merely seeking safety in the House of the Disabled.
MAN 1: In Qana. Yes.
MAN 2: They were fugitives from the hall of guns.
MAN 1: Only to be lifted skyward by the hell of the steel bird.
MAN 2: Globalization. Damn globalization’s strife…
MAN 1: It strives to make us all alike.
MAN 2: Alike through consumption.
MAN 1: It has no heart. The world watches as they murder and murder and murder.
(Man 2 suddenly is motionless.)
MAN 2: We are all heartless. All of us are heartless as we watch them pulverize children. Snatch every vein that pulses in Lebanon. Bloodbath after bloodbath and we- we- I- I- I watch as the whole world watches!
MAN 1: My friend, we are not responsible for this.
MAN 2: Not in horror, in monstrous apathy! Massacre after massacre-
MAN 1: Those responsible are tucked neatly away wrapped in new money.
MAN 2: We- I- I am the monstrous beast responsible for watching the horror!
MAN 1: War is their paycheck, not ours. You’re not making any sense.
MAN 2: The Terror just grows and grows!
MAN 1: The money tree just grows and grows!
MAN 2: We all feed, one way or another upon the blood and meat of tender children.
MAN 1: No, we do not! What is wrong with you?
MAN 2: Why must the world- why must I just watch?
MAN 1: They haven’t a heart! You lost everybody you knew! You are innocent! They've no heart!
MAN 2: You always say that, but they must! We must! I must!
MAN 1: They will ignore our pleas in order to flatter the legend of iron and fire! Qana 1996 and now Qana 2006! What is wrong with you?
MAN 2: Much water has flowed between our bridges.
MAN 1: Apparently not enough to wash them of hatred.
MAN 2: All that water and we've not drank of its hope.
MAN 1: No! Ten years is a long time to you and I! It is but a moment to the beast with its steel planes, tanks and bombs!
MAN 2: We are all guilty for the beast’s growth. I am guilty too!
MAN 1: No! Shut up! Shut up! You’re not making any sense! You and I are not responsible for this! They! They are responsible! They demolish houses right on top of the living! They burn the small bodies of children in Lebanon and Palestine! Tens of thousands of tons of bombs brought from the remote, murderous lands of Columbus, snatching the souls of millions from this land! The beast shows no mercy! Do you hear me? You are innocent! You and I are innocent!
(The rumbling now seems to be upon them as the ground shakes and the sound pierces the air.)
MAN 1: (Running away.) No! Oh, God! Run! Come on! They are upon us! Run! Run! Run! Run! It hasn't a heart! (Man 1 is gone.)
(The noise is almost unbearable and the quaking is intense. Man 2 turns to face the audience. He tears off his shirt and holds his arms out to his side as he drops to his knees.)
MAN 2: HERE I AM! IT IS I! I AM THE ONE YOU SEEK! MY HANDS WERE NOT PARALYZED, MY MOUTH NOT MUTE AS I WATCHED THE BLOOD FILL THE STREETS! I AM NOT INNOCENT! I WATCHED ALL THOSE TINY BODIES WITH THEIR BEAUTIFUL FACES- BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN AND I WATCHED! I WATCHED THEM FLY APART! I WATCHED THEM FLY APART! I HAVEN'T A HEART! I AM THE ONE YOU SEEK! I WATCHED THEM! I HAVEN'T A HEART!
(Man 2 continues to yell and cry the last line over and over as the shaking and noise seems to overtake him and lights fade to black as he screams “I have no heart!” one last time.)
Copyright © 2006 mrp / thepoetryman
Comments
Post a Comment