Chapter 33
The Mix of the Crowd
NARRATOR
In the mix of the crowd
two pennies are dancing together
and singing weakly
(since pennies aren’t always so strong).
There’s a hush
as they lift up their
penny-covered skirts
and kick up twice -
and lose a shoe!
At first they’re lousy dancers
and don’t have ‘glue’.
They’re falling all over each other.
They’re just rolling around.
But the drunken sailors are amazed.
It’s a good scene.
There is amazement in the crowds.
They are a crowd pleaser.
They perform nightly.
They rake in all the spoils
for the Ship’s Captain.
They are lucky to have, to own.
Every sailor wants one!
SAILORS
So, ho! Living lady pennies!
So, ho! Living lady pennies!
Lit’rally dancing in our hands!
SHIP’S CAPTAIN, shouting
Let’s spend them so they can dance!
TWO WIVES
We’ve been made into money
but of a poor sort:
now we’re just dancing pennies
sorrowfully used in every port. Chapter 34
Little Ladies in the Port
NARRATOR
Little ladies in the port
kick up their heals,
roll on their sides,
bang into glasses,
get tired
and lay down;
until they’re scraped off
into the pile of all the other money
accumulated there.
Success to the Captain!
in his bargaining spirits,
in his ‘trading’ uniform
that’s better than his sailing,
though he still gets around.
The little Penny Women lay,
exhausted, atop his money pile
in an old grain bag. Chapter 35
The Spotlight's On Them!
NARRATOR
They’re dancing on the tabletops,
circulating cigarettes,
lighting matches (tipping them over
until they’re ready to strike).
They’re dancing around the flames
making the sailors laugh,
making the monkeys screech,
making the parrots sigh.
They’re excellent dancers now,
though their coinaged costumes
are so hard to fly.
They manage to be adept,
swift and sure
until they’re in the right palms
of the right hands
with all the money
making free!
They’ll dance there
and it’s a wonder to see!
TWO WIVES
Cheap things don’t work -
like a dull fork stabbing cabbage -
but we do!
And we’ll go to work to do well!
Yea. We’ll lope around,
swing; dashing our skirts
aloft outward
and wringing our little
legs
like bell-knockers.
The sailors’ hornpipe and
hurdy-gurdy will enthuse us
and be best for them.
SAILORS
The two little women are jumping
over the candles light as feathers!
TWO WIVES, getting tired
We’re jumping over candlesticks.
We can’t do this forever!
SHIP’S CAPTAIN
The two little women are lighter
on their feet than feathers:
jumping over the candlesticks tall, flying over,
careful like bees;
yet, holding up life-size coins
of their own.
And not scratching,
not tipping,
not rolling too much.
Not rolling off the table!
but nimbly landing back upon it,
balancing upright.
Exhausted, I suppose.
NARRATOR
Just above the flames,
soaring over the candles, they fly,
holding up rather heavy (for them) coins
which twist a little
and certainly draw them down,
unbashful, toward the crowded table
where they’ll land: successful
and, taking in applause and laughter
and much ‘lardon’ (successful wealth).
SHIP’S CAPTAIN, sighs
The first venture is fun
but it grows tired for them port after port.
TWO WIVES
So many faces staring, looking bewildered
and then dumbfounded;
and then, aghast; and then, scared;
and then, happy! -
as we land fairly perfectly,
somewhere off to the side.
Away from the soup!
Yeah. Our bodies and mind intact -
our best thing pressed to us of solid coin -
and our value gone up inestimatably,
soaring like our feet.
We see this in the sailors’ eyes
aghast and wide with wonder.
And we’re the scene!
We’re the one-in-a-kind of experience:
a tale to be told -
what’s to be remembered later
and pressed to be true -
proven here before their eyes!
And the word spreads,
the tales are told and we’ve become
famous.
But still small.
But that’s the wonder!
And thus we can do such special things.
Not everything!
We’ve got our own lives to live
and souls to live well by.
Let’s let them stay free.
Free and not for sale.
(The Two Wives have a look at a parrot
or at a monkey chieftain for awhile)
TWO WIVES
We’ve seen all, done all.
But we’re so small.
And do we count? SHIP’S CAPTAIN, overhearing them
Yes. You do, for me.
You add up to coins and coins of pennies
worth many, many times more than the ‘one-centers’
that you are - many times more than your present value
seen or expected - so that with every jump
(over a candlestick flame, for instance)
you stack up
an unbelievable payment:
the tallest, highest bearing flat sum
for your true worth. And that’s growing!
The coins that add up to the two of you
(if you keep jumping)
are a profit of a lifetime for me!
Now that I’ve found you,
you’ll do the best for me.
TWO WIVES
Until we’re tired out jumping.
Or singed flat.
Oh, our Captain, we’re just exhausted!
We’re putting up for it all fine
but we could use some more good rest
and not be put to hopping at every port.
We’ll be useless in the long run.
Yeah. Run down.
SHIP’S CAPTAIN
I’ll revive you.
Don’t be moping!
(End of Chapters 33 - 35)
No comments:
Post a Comment