lost poet, four plays by jesse glass book preview

7/31/2019 Lost Poet, Four Plays by Jesse Glass Book Preview

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Lost Poet:

Four Plays By Jesse Glass

BlazeVOX [books]

Buffalo, New York


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Lost Poet, Four Plays By Jesse Glass

Copyright 2010

Published by BlazeVOX [books]

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced withoutthe publishers written permission, except for brief quotations in reviews.

Printed in the United States of America

Book design by Geoffrey Gatza

First Edition

ISBN: 9781935402398Library of Congress Control Number : 2008932205

Note: The Lost Poet incorporates brief excerpts from Chivers Life of Poe (E.P.Dutton, 1952) Watts, Charles Henry. Thomas Holley Chivers; His LiteraryCareer and His Poetry. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1956and TheUnpublished Plays of Thomas Holley Chivers. (Scholars Facsimiles & Reprints,1999).

BlazeVOX [books]14 Tremaine AveKenmore, NY 14217

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These written screams are dedicated to the ashes of my father,Jesse G. Glass, Sr. (19352007), whose width of chest andcorded muscles were once famous in the the stockyards and hay

fields of Carroll County and beyond. Lover of peach brandy andautumn nights listening to the bawling hounds chase a fox nigh toexhaustion, stay clear of my dreams but find your proper home--(if you must venture from the urn behind the door)--among thesepages.

Iriya, Japan, 5/26/2009


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Table of Contents

HOMELESS IN AMERICA .............................................................................. 9

DOVE HUNTING ........................................................................................... 45

THE LOST POET ............................................................................................. 55

WORM--A SEXUAL OPERA ...................................................................... 115


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Lost Poet


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HOMELESS IN AMERICA

(1988)


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10

CHARACTERS

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

PASSERSBY 1--7 (CAN BE PLAYED BY MASKED ACTORS)

YOUNG MAN

OLD LAUGHING MAN

MAN PUSHING SHOPPING CART

MAN (STEICHEN)

WOMAN

GIANT

MAN WITH WITHERED HAND

MAN IN TOP HAT

REPORTER

CHRISTA MCAULIFFE

SCOBIE

MALE VOICE

ALL ACTION (EXCEPT THE BRIEF INTERLUDE INSIDE THECHALLENGER'S CABIN) TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE PUBLICLIBRARY STEPS, DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,JANUARY, 1986, FROM 10 A.M. TO DARK.


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SCENE 1.

OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC LIBRARY, DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE,

WISCONSIN. JANUARY, 1986.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Hey bro. You got a quarter? Fifty cents?

PASSERBY 1.

No.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Bro. You got?

PASSERBY 2.

No.

***

A YOUNG MAN AND AN OLD MAN ON THE LIBRARY STEPS.THE OLD MAN HAS NO TEETH. THE OLD MAN LAUGHSWHILE THE YOUNG MAN SPEAKS.

YOUNG MAN

Get the fuck away from me, man. I know what you want.

(3 BEATS.)

Get over there on the other side of the steps. No, I ain't got what you'relooking for, man. Get over there.

THE OLD MAN CONTINUES TO LAUGH. DOESN'T MOVE.


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***

MALE VOICE (VOICE OVER)

Ten...Nine...Eight...Seven...

MAN PUSHING SHOPPING CART

Hallelujah! Christ gave little Lilly a new chain for her bicycle. She's restingcomfortably beneath her stone now, thank you Jesus, down around Tampa.

(TO PASSERBY) Hello Sir.

PASSERBY 3.

Hello. (CONTINUES TO WALK.)

***

A BLIND AND DEAF MAN STANDS ON THE CORNER BLOWINGA WHISTLE. HE CARRIES A CANE. HE IS SIX FEET FIVE INCHES

TALL AND HE SLOUCHES AND DROOLS. HE'S DRESSED IN AHEAVY WINTER COAT WITH THE HOOD UP. THE HOOD ISDRAWN TIGHT AROUND HIS FACE. HE GRINS, TURNS HISHEAD THIS WAY AND THAT AND BLINKS HIS SIGHTLESS EYES.HE BLOWS THE WHISTLE, RAPS THE CANE AGAINST THECURB. THEN HE BLOWS AGAIN. HE STANDS TEN FEET AWAYFROM THE BUS STOP. SOME PASSERSBY STAND AND STARE.

WOMAN

It's too cold to stand out here this long

.


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MAN

How long we been out here?

WOMANMy hands are blue.

MAN

Why's he blowing his whistle like that? Hey, shut up with the whistle forchrissake.

WOMAN

He's doing it again. He's not stopping it.

MAN

Hey you! Look at that dumb bastard blow. The spit's rolling outta hismouth. Hey dumb bastard.

WOMAN

Better not mess with him. He's a big one.MAN

I knocked bigger ones than him down.

WOMAN

He's giving us a dirty look.

(MAN WALKS OVER TO DEAF AND DUMB GIANT.)


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MAN

You...don't blow that whistle...Hey you're blowing it...in my face! (GRABSTHE GIANT BY THE COLLARS.) Do you know who this is? This is a

real man talking. Nobody messes with me !WOMAN

Look..he can't hear you.

MAN

Can't see me either. Looka this. (FLIPS THE BIRD.) I can do this and hecan't see me do it.

WOMAN

Wonder if he can feel?

MAN

Hey buddy? You? (4 BEATS.) Ha Ha. He looked the other way.

WOMAN

You fooled him alright.

MAN

Looka this. Like the three stooges. Wooo Wooo Wooo!

WOMAN

Stop messing up his hair.


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(GIANT HOLDS OUT HIS PALM. HE IS HOLDING A DIRTY,TYPED INDEX CARD.)

MAN

You want to give me something? Oh, how kind. (SNATCHES CARDAWAY.) Let's see: I'm deaf, dumb, and blind. Please help me to the 54 bus.Looka this. I throw it away, ha ha.

WOMAN

Why'd you do that?

MAN

Because I can. Got it? Let's look for the food truck.

WOMAN

No.

MAN

Come on!

WOMAN

I'm not going. We've got to help that guy find a bus.

MAN

Suit yourself, but look. This guy's a waste of tissue. He's an ox, but he'sweak. And the weak...the weak are guilty. You don't understand that. Letme SPELL IT OUT. This fellow with the whistle--him?--over there? He

was born deficient, so he's guilty. He's guiltier than you and me andeverybody in all the prisons put together, see. The weak aren't innocent.The weak are guilty as hell 'cause they drag down the status quo. And


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because they're guilty they should be punished. And if nobody else punishesthem, I will. Understand?

WOMANI think so.

MAN

Now come on and let's look for the food truck. It should be around here.

***

MAN IN TOP HAT

My shoes are holding out this winter.


The weather's not so bad.

MAN IN TOP HAT

My shoes and my socks. I've got four pair of socks. One sock--just onewith a hole in it. This winter's been OK.


I know what you mean. Yes sir. Yes sir. I do.

MAN IN TOP HAT

Late last year. Yes sir, my shoes sure know how to travel. These are walkingshoes, bud. Walking shoes. You don't know where these shoes have been.You just don't know. They walked all last year about this time.


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I hear you talking. Mmmmm hmmmmm.

MAN IN TOP HAT

But this weather, man! I can't believe it.

***


Count down has been momentarily stopped at T-minus 5 seconds. T-minus

five. We've been apprised of a...an er...computer function glitch. And it's T-minus 5 seconds.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Hey mister. Quarter? Fifty cents?

PASSERBY 4

Get a job! (WALKS ON.)

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Bro?

PASSERBY 5

Believe in Jesus.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

I believe.


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PASSERBY 5

Jesus wants all his children to be wealthy.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

I know that.

PASSERBY 5

Jesus wants all his fallen flock to have heat.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Amen!

PASSERBY 5

Jesus wants all his boys and girls to have everything he promised them fromthe cross when he shed his blood there for the sake of us all.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Yes.

PASSERBY 5

Can you read?

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Uh huh.


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PASSERBY 5

(HANDING HIM A NEW TESTAMENT)

I want you to carry this with you, and I want you to read it and think it over.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

I will.

PASSERBY 5

That's all I want you to do.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

But how's about a...

PASSERBY 5

Then think on these things awhile.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Friend...

PASSERBY 5

Do it for your sake.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

But...(PASSERBY 5 WALKS AWAY.)


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***

WOMAN (SITTING ON STEPS)I don't know about you, but this business stinks. Everybody's looking at us.Why don't they look someplace else?

MAN (SITTING ON STEPS)

Shut up.

WOMAN

Why's everybody looking at us like that?

MAN

Because we stink, OK?

WOMAN

Do I? Do I stink?MAN

Like a fish you stink. You smell like a stale fish and I smell like a fart in abox. Got that? Now you know.

WOMAN

If I stink so much then get away from me.

MAN

Sure thing. I'm going inside to look up a word.


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WOMAN

What word?

MAN (THINKING QUICKLY)

Juggernaut.WOMAN

What the hell kind of word is that?

MAN (RISING FROM STEPS)

I dunno. I just thought I heard myself say it. That's why I'm looking it up.

WOMAN

Go ahead. Go ahead and look up your word. When you come back maybe Iwon't be here.

MAN

(FISHING AROUND IN HIS POCKETS. PULLS OUT A SCRAP OFPAPER AND A PENCIL.)

So what? You better believe I'm looking up that word without you beinghere, or with.

WOMAN

And maybe I should look up a word too, huh? I see what you're up to...uhhuh...you think you've got one up on me and the rest of us, but I understandit all too well. I've got my own little word to look up.

MAN

They'll kick you out. You stink too much. The guards have stink-o-metersand they aim them at you like guns. If the meter reads over 50 units of stink


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they make you go back out on the steps for the cold wind to turn you redand blow the stink off you.

WOMAN (RISING FROM STEPS)Hey, they won't kick me out. If they try to I'll spit in my palm like mygrandmother used to do and her grandmother before her from the oldcountry. I'll spit in my palm and their dicks'll fall off.

MAN

Ha ha. Right. You almost made me forget my word.

WOMAN

You just wait till I look up the word I'm going to be looking up.

(THEY GO INSIDE.)

***

YOUNG MAN (TO LAUGHING OLD MAN)

And stay over there! Stay over there until the food truck comes! And whenit comes with coffee and sandwiches. When it's out there I don't want youstanding in front of me or behind me in line! Got that? No standing nearme. Understand?

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Food truck don't come today, stud.

YOUNG MAN

Yes it does.


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MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

No it don't. You got to beg for your little piece of hot dog today.

(OLD MAN CONTINUES TO LAUGH).

***

MAN IN TOP HAT

Where do the pigeons go when it's cold? They go up there where the hot airrises up the front of the library. You hear 'em at night. Them and the winterbirds cheeping and peeping and cooing like it was summer.


I hear you talking.

MAN IN TOP HATOne night I stayed out so late on a cold night. The kind of night makes theinsides of your nostrils burn like a lit match been hammered up each one. Iwas trying to keep warm. I was jumping up and down. Then I went for awalk by the lake. I don't know why I did it. I walked way out to where theytie the boats and I heard the ice groaning and cracking and big long cracksshot off and tore off across the ice like big guns firing. Then the lake startedscreaming with lips of ice, and I heard God talking, telling the lake to keepquiet, and not get too riled because the good days were coming. But the lakekept screaming, looking up at the cold sky with one big old round black eye.

The lake don't believe in good days. It kept saying to God there weren't anyof those good warm days left and none were coming. But God wasn't thereanymore, just this big round laughing hole in the sky and the lake, she startedhowling and screaming and groaning and moaning.


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So what you do?

MAN IN TOP HAT

I found a grate with warm air coming up and that's where I parked my ass tillmorning!


I know which one you're talking of.

MAN IN TOP HAT

Like an old bird on a chimney. I just preened myself in that warm cloud!


Birds fall in them chimneys sometimes.

MAN IN TOP HAT

You and me got to take them chances.


I hear you talking.


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MAN IN TOP HAT

Mmmmm Hmmmm.

***

YOUNG MAN (TO LAUGHING OLD MAN)

Get out of my face. You--I can see it in your eyes you fucking old bastard. Ionce took a knife and cut a man's throat just because he was looking at melike that, so you'd better save your dirty ass and walk over there like a goodold man and stand over there till you freeze the snot on the end of your nose

and get out of my face! Now!

(OLD MAN CONTINUES TO LAUGH.)

***


Five...Four...Three...Two...

MAN

Look what I just found. A lottery ticket in the bushes.

WOMAN (SITTING ON STEPS)

You split it with me? I'm your partner.


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MAN

I know that. But suppose I scratch the gunk off and I win. What if I win

big? What are you gonna do for me?WOMAN

We'll get a little place. I can do dishes. I'll sweep your floor and sew a littleif we have thread. I know how to sew a little.

MAN

Ho ho. We'll get some shorties. Buy out the goodie store. Drink themgoodies up, and then the old pipes'll unfreeze. Then I'll give you another

job. We'll lay pipe all night.

WOMAN

Oh sure. (BEAT) And what if it's nothing?

MAN

Don't worry. It'll be something. This ticket wasn't laying in the bushes for

nothing. There's destiny afoot.WOMAN

C'mon and scratch it.

MAN

Uh uh. I'm gonna keep it a little right here in my pocket. You think over

what you're gonna do for me. Maybe you do it for me first, aroundback...you know under the stairs where it's dark. Then maybe I'll scratch itoff for the dough.


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WOMAN

Maybe I will.

MAN

I saw you looking up your word over there around Charlie. I seen youbending over over there. What's he gonna do--buy you a burger king andthen you blow him?

WOMAN

Don't you get mad at me, Mr. You're the one said I stink.

MAN

So what? I've had a million like you. More than a million. And when Iscratch this ticket you'll see how popular I can be.

WOMAN

Kiss my ass thats what you are.

MAN

So what? You can't get me mad at you. (3 BEATS.) Wait till I think aboutit. Maybe I'll get even with you later and maybe not. Maybe Charlie'll wakeup grinning below his chin tonight when he's sleeping it off at the shelter.You don't know who you're dealing with here. Nobody knows.

WOMAN

Little dick. Youd steal a rats asshole when nobodys looking, that's what

youd do.


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MAN

See? I'm turning my back on you. I won't lower myself down to where thepiggies squeal. And anyway, I found this lottery ticket, so you better be

careful what you say, because I could hire somebody to rub you out like that.(SNAPS FINGERS.) And I wouldn't have to get my hands dirty andnobody...nobody would know.

WOMAN

O.K. Me and Charlie's over with. That was a sudden fling, you understand?

MAN

I'll try to.

(WOMAN SEARCHES IN POCKET)

WOMAN

Now here's a penny. Let's scratch.

MAN

Let's just let it age a bit. We got all day here. Maybe before they let us in theshelter. You got the time to wait. No place to go. And I do too.

***

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

You?


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PASSERBY 7

Here's all I got.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKETTwenty-five cents? C'mon. I need a buck. A buck to get me home on thebus.

PASSERBY 7That's all I got.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Another quarter?

PASSERBY 7

Look. I like you, so lay off or I'm telling the cop over there.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Oh! I get you. You like me enough you don't want to see me in jail.

PASSERBY 7

That's right. Bug off.

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Thank you, sir.

PASSERBY 7

No problem. (WALKS AWAY.)


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(MAN IN LIGHT JACKET LAUGHS TO HIMSELF. SINGS TO AMADE-UP TUNE JINGLING THE COINS IN HIS POCKET.)

MAN IN LIGHT JACKET

Take me to a DEEEE-laaaaaah!Ta buy me an AUTO-MO-beeeeeeel!

He says I got what yooooooou want, sonBut it don't run on GASSSS-Foh-Reeeeeeeal!

It runs on this stuff in a bag...Ah hum Ah hum Ah hum...so let's make us a deal!

(EXIT MAN IN LIGHT JACKET.)

***


And we have lift-off. (ROAR OF ENGINES IN BACKGROUND ANDAPPLAUSE.) A perfect lift-off ladies and gentlemen!

REPORTER

This is the instant I-Team with Charlie Judd reporting live from the steps ofthe City Library. This is the second part of our three part I-Series on thehomeless in Milwaukee. (TO MAN WITH SHOPPING CART.) Sir, I'dlike to ask you a question...

MAN WITH SHOPPING CART

O.K.


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REPORTER (CHECKING CARD)

This is James. Right, James?


Yes.

REPORTER

Now James has lived on the streets for how long?


Five years.

REPORTER

Five years...

***

YOUNG MAN

What time is it? Anybody but this laughing fuck got the time? The lunchtrucks supposed to have been here hours ago. This is Monday, am I right?Monday? Therefore the lunch truck should come, shouldnt it? Weve stoodhere now for hours and its starting to get dark, and were hungry, man, andthis sonofabitch keeps laughing and Im gonna kill him if he dont quit. Shutup, will ya?

PASSERBY 1.

Marquettes not running the lunch wagon today.


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YOUNG MAN

Let me guess...theyve got a vacation today.

Passerby 1.

One of those holy days cat lickers have.

YOUNG MAN

Holy day. You mean holiday, right?

PASSERBY 1.

What I just said.

***


We interrupt this program for a special report from A.B.C. News.(BLACK OUT. LIGHTS UP ON CHALLENGER.)(INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE CHALLENGER. SOUND OF ADEAFENING EXPLOSION. INSTRUMENT LIGHTS GO OUT.)

SCOBIE

Uh. Oh.

MCAULIFFE

My god, what's happening?


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SCOBIE (TURNING AROUND IN HIS SEAT AS HE TRIES TOWORK JOY STICK):

Christa? Christa?

MCAULIFFE

We're falling!

SCOBIE

Mission Control? Mission Control?

MCAULIFFE

We're gonna die.

SCOBIE

Not yet. If I can stabilize this thing...bring her in flat. Pull up the nose...shit,shit.

MCAULIFFE

What can I do?

SCOBIE

I dunno...The others?

MCAULIFFEKnocked out, maybe...

SCOBIE

Let them wait. We've got to fight this, Christa. We can bring this nose up.If I could get this nose up just a bit...


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MCAULIFFE

I want to see my husband and my little girl. I want to sit down at the table

with them and ask them how they are. They must be watching this.

SCOBIE

We've got some time. Try to get Mission Control. They might have someideas.

MCAULIFFE

I thought this was an honor. I tried so hard all my life to do the best thingfor everybody. I took all the tests. All those hard hurting tests. I really triedmy best. And now...now that I'm here... now that I've achieved.....Now thatreporters from all over the world know my name...now our--my--epitaph isUh Oh? That's no fair! No fucking fair! This America. This hype. Thisdressing up in these million dollar suits so that I cannot touch myself or feelflesh against flesh. This being locked away and sealed up and packaged andreplayed and probed and homogenized and carefully posed. Now Iunderstand it all. Strapped in this seat, lured away from everything I ever

knew and loved, and locked in with these....these...experts. (SCREAMING)FUCKING EXPERTS!

SCOBIE

Keep your head, Christa. We can lick this. We can walk away from this yet.Watch. We still have some power. I rock the joy stick and the noseresponds. Is it my imagination or is the nose coming up?

MCAULIFFE

Don't you see? We were packaged for this. They told us lies.


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SCOBIE

Ha! 27.4. The instruments are back on. There's still a chance. Hello?

Mission Control? Mission Control? You try it, Christa.

MCAULIFFE

I wish someone would kiss me. I can't get out of this seat. Scobie, blow me akiss.

SCOBIE

What?

MCAULIFFE

Blow me a kiss.

(SCOBIE DOES.)

SCOBIE

Oh No!...We're tumbling! I'm afraid we're tumbling, Christa. We'retumbling! The joy stick is frozen!

(A VOICE CRACKLES OVER THE RADIO. FIRST ITMUTTERS...BUZZES...CRACKS...FADESTHEN GROWS MORECLEAR.)

MCAULIFFE

Ma...Ma...Mission Control?


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(THE DEAF GIANT WITH THE WHISTLE TAKES AMICROPHONE AND STANDS SO THE AUDIENCE SEES HIM"BECOME" THE VOICE.)

VOICEYou have fifteen seconds to go. You have no home. Soon you'll have novoice, no throat, no eyes, no hair, no brain...

MCAULIFFE

What? Tell me who this is!

VOICE

We made you. We marketed you. We are mourning you now. You are thebrightest and the best we have to offer. All of you. But you are worth moreto us as a name, a concept, a sacrifice, a brand, than as a living, breathing,aging individual. You are truly a wonderful teacher, Christa. You teach thenecessary information to the young. All eyes are riveted upon your plungingspace ship now. Boys and girls out there in greater television land. They arelearning the relationship of the individual to the state. They areunderstanding that they are at the mercy of vast, impersonal forces. Yet theystill wish to become like you, Christa. To dangle their young lives fromgossamer threads to become heroes. Oh the glory of it, Christa! We love

you, Christa. Children will pray for you when they should be praying forthemselves. Cartoonists will draw the Challenger finding a berth in heavenwhen the earth will soon be a hell for you. The ocean will draw a curtain ofsecrecy around your final struggles, but the minds of the young will followyouthe young will see your sanitized, smiling image with large, luminouseyes. Totally innocent. Totally innocent. Goodbye Christa and god speed!

MCAULIFFE

Whoever you are your speech writer is a moron! A FUCKING MORON,do you hear?? Who is this!!!

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