Night Work

AT RISE ALICE, 20s in oversized tee and gym shorts, is in bed writing with her laptop open. Soft folk music is drifting out of the speakers. BISQUE, 20s and lovable, like a big chinchilla is next to her. He is laying down with his eyes closed. A lamp is on on the nightstand.

ALICE: Want me to turn off my music?

BISQUE: That's at the bottom of the list of things to turn off.

       (ALICE looks at the lamp, at the computer.)

ALICE: Want me to go into the living room?

BISQUE: (Beat.) No.

       (ALICE gives a self-satisfied, "Humph.")

ALICE: Okay then.

       (BISQUE narrows his eyes.)

BISQUE: Well, at the top of the list of things to turn off IS THE ATTITUDE.

END OF PLAY.

Screen Too Thin

Kevin Spacey only follows eleven people on Twitter.
One of those people is John Stamos.

A. Isn't that weird? That talented man chose the ex-Full House heart-throb to keep up with? Out of all the people on this earth?
B. Isn't it weird that I know this? That I, currently singing along to "Brand New Colony," currently rocking chipped pink toenail polish, currently in Illinois, currently a teacher, lover, sister, pray-er can find out what the star of American Beauty is interested in? It takes all of thirty seconds and two mouse clicks to know.


Yatchface, Spring 2010, Photo by Pookie

When I hold the contents of the world on my lap,
which I do daily,
it doesn't seem heavy.
But it really is.
It really is so heavy--although my attention is pulled into three million different directions.
On CNN, the newsfeed announced, "VICTORIA BECKHAM PREGNANT"
over footage of a Japanese woman
alone, destroyed by waves.
When I hold the contents of the world in my lap,
the screen seems too thin,
my confidence too low,
the words too many,
the trials too many,
the colors too many,
and still, I do
hold the contents of the world on my lap.

I'll be the fire escape that's bolted to the ancient brick where you will sit and contemplate your day.