"Dramatis Ars Poetica"(Dramatic Poetry): "Extinction Level Event"

This is my second piece, the characters based on stories ripped from headlines over the years, others just tragic scenarios . . . but they do have a similar current running through them . . . I hope you enjoy as I take you on a ride to an . . .

Extinction Level Event

In the darkness of the stage, “Moonlight Sonata” from Beethoven begins to play.  It starts very melancholy and then fades up to a comfortable listening volume.

Then we hear a new sound creep into this sonic bed.  It is that of a music box.  It starts to play a very happy melody that is stark contrast with the rather minor cadences of the Sonata.  But, at the same time, it seems to go with it, seems to be a part of the Sonata; a subset within the whole.

It too slowly rises in volume but to a level slightly below the Sonata’s.

The stage slowly begins to light up with a bluish-white tinge a la Moonlight.  We see a backdrop of gnarled, leafless trees in the clutches of a full moon.

Then we hear the sound of wind whipping through trees.  Simultaneously, there is a gust of wind that comes from Stage Right, blowing a few leaves along with it. 

Trudging in from Stage left is a Black Man, clad in a suit.  He hugs himself as the wind blasts him and the leaves smack him in the face.

He gets to the center of the stage, turns to the audience and treks down towards them.

He stops now.  The sounds of the music and music box now begin to fade to a barely audible level at which they will stay.  The only sound that can be heard at this moment is that of the wind whipping through the trees.

The Man starts to moan with discomfort and shivers violently almost uncontrollably.  After taking hold of himself again he begins to speak . . .

MAN

Extinction Level Event . . .

Extinction Level Event . . .

No more are they content . . .

To merely torture me, heap suffering on my family

They want to . . . kill me . . .

Commit my soul to this present limbo

Where nothing lives or grows

No tomorrow . . .

Only this everlasting, chilly night

Where I am laughed at by mocking, rueful moonlight

And the wind fights . . . with me.

Forever trying to sap the warmth from my body

What little dignity . . . I had in life

Is in the tears the wind cuts away as a knife

My body now twitches away last vestiges of life . . .

I have been gone but two minutes now

But my body is still rained on by blow . . . after blow . . . after blow . . .!

Through the unfeeling portal of this moon

I see their faces swoon . . .

. . . Into view.  Might I have expired too soon . . .

Spoiling their fun?

Making clouds cover the sun

As they do their duty of ridding the planet of yet another one of these Dark Abominations?

My flowing blood reflects the gleam of teeth

As they smile.  A shell casing: my immediate wreathe

No greater than a rotting carcass am I, as I am prodded beneath

. . . Their feet.  They had to make sure It was dead

I stare blankly at them from a concrete bed . . .

That is slowly gaining Color.  Up to now not a word of apology has been said

By the Warlord who sent these Mercenaries

To entrap me, execute me . . . for protecting my dignity.

Why Me? What was it about me . . . that invited this deadly scrutiny!?

I had a home; a family . . . turned my life around from juvenile misdeeds . . .

Now . . . my past has been posthumously dug up so Media Vultures can feed . . .!

To cover up and justify the flippant scything of a Human Being . . . like a Weed!

I hope that you’re content . . .

You’ve started an Extinction Level Event

An Extinction Level Event . . .!

With that the man trudges off to stage right much in the same manner as before, with the leaves and wind battering him.

As he exits, another form emerges from the backdrop.  The figure is wearing a hooded jacket some jeans and sneakers.  The wind still whips and howls with leaves surfing the thermals.

The wind treats him like the previous figure: Battering him around as rag doll.  As He approaches the audience, he holds the hood by the edges shielding his face and his identity from the audience. 

He comes to a stop at much the same spot the previous figure did.  He raises his head revealing the bottom half of his face, from the nose to his chin; his eyes are hidden in shadow of the hood.

He begins to speak . . .

HOODED ONE

Extinction Level event

Extinction level event . . .

My pleas couldn’t prevent

Them from locking me away . . . here

Where light does not dare

Or care . . . to venture in

So it sends its distant, scornful cousin,

The Moon, to slither around this world as a water moccasin.

Just as fearful malicious stereotypes

Infected their minds as they slowly crushed my windpipe

They accosted me, said that I fitted the “type”

My ‘Alien Wear’. . . was enough to rear

In them a most rabid suspicion: “Boy . . .what are you doin’ around here?!”

A smirk on the face of one made their mindset too clear.

I was fearful; their reputation preceded them

So I complied with their commands, didn’t want any problems.

Didn’t want to become another statistic in some mad politician’s ‘theorems’

About violent tendencies of my dusky group.

Gritted my teeth, kept silent as they slammed me against my coupe

Face first into my bonnet.  As reflections in my dripping blood I saw them droop

Over me, questioning me, bludgeoning me

With extensions of their cowardly masculinity

They accused me . . . of deeds against someone . . .

I didn’t exist in their realm; I couldn’t have been the one . . .!

I have never flirted with such a weapon . . .!

Didn’t understand it then . . . but I understand now . . .

Couldn’t see it then, couldn’t see how . . .

They could mistake me.  Truth is, if you’re endowed

With an epidermis that shines like the earth,

To distinguish one from another isn’t worth

The time or the effort . . .!

They made the ground and I one . . .

Placed all their weight on . . .

Me.  I couldn’t breathe; consciousness went off and on.

So I grabbed with life force’s weakening fingers

At air which they made cruelly linger . . .

Out of my reach.  When my protestations grew dire, thus stronger

They interpreted for unwarranted duress

Callously ignoring, defecating on my rising distress

So . . . they crushed the air from my breast

I felt each tendon, each muscle fiber as it gave way

Compacted, wrenched every which way

Through all the agony I endured . . . I tried to stay

There, in the moment . . .

For me to choke on my liquid warmth was their intent . . .

I expired . . . Extinction Level Event . . .

With that this figure too retreats to the back of the stage and eventually merges again into the dark of the upstage backdrop and set.

Then from offstage right we see a Child saunter in walking a bicycle.  He too is fighting the wind, trying to hold on to his cap. 

As he reaches the center of the stage he lays down the bike and reaches to his back and pulls out a toy gun.  It is bright orange in color with black handle grips. 

He proceeds to play with his gun pretending to shoot “badguys”, as he calls them, at various locations on stage and in the audience.

Still in the midst of his play he begins to speak . . .

KID

Heard Daddy say, “Extinction Level Event . . .”

Just before they zip me up in that black plastic tent.

Din’ know what that meant . . .

All I know is that I was playin’

On the Ave wit’ my cousin’

All of us together was about half a dozen

Just got this new toy from my daddy

But . . . last I remember it wasn’t this dirty

What could all this red stuff on it be?

Don’ know how come I missed it before . . .

Would a asked Dad to clean it ‘fore I walked out the door

I’m rubbin’ it ‘till I can’t rub no more

Maybe in the morning I’ll be able to see better

I don’ know, the cold here make this red stuff feel wetter

When they zip me up couldn’t they let me out some place better

Than this?  I know those other guys must have been playing the game too

Yeah, those guys with those glitzy stuff on their clothes, you know who.

I wonder when they gon’ let me out of here.  I gotta get home to

My Daddy an’ Mommy.  I gon’ get in trouble if I stay out too late . . .

So anyway I was outside, playin’ “Good Guys an’ Bad Guys.”  We couldn’ wait

To be like that man on “Enemy of the State.”

I’m tellin’ you I was killin’ em . . .!

One by one they was lights out, no problem!

If I missed it was seldom.

Now I just had to take Jahim out an’ it would be over

He was hidin’ right aroun’ the corner

An’ I was gettin’ closer an’ closer.

Suddenly somebody said “Don’ move!”

Couldn’ let Jahim get the drop on me so I had to prove

That I was quicker.  Did a nice spin move

All I heard was Crack!  Crack!

And I was on my back.

Was in so much pain, thought I slipped and hurt my back.

Jahim had a hat just like the ones who got me good

Thought they were friends of his from the hood

Tried to move and talk but it did no good.

I don’ know, I just felt real tired after that slip up

I think I kind a fainted or something ‘cause when I woke up

There was Jahim’s friends zipping me up

In this black tent.  Thought they were playing a joke on me

Getting me back for beating them so severely.

Don’t know where this place is; I couldn’t see.

Wonder where they could be?

I’m cold, tired . . . getting hungry . . .

The light up there looks like the moon  . . . I can see . . .

Hey, wait . . . I see . . . Me . . .?

That can’t be . . .!

I’m lying on the ground

Just like when Jahim’s friends found

Me.  There’s a lot of this red stuff coming from around

Me and messin’ up the concrete

Runnin’ into the street . . .

Jahim’s friends are even wiping it off their feet.

There are other people around . . . they look so sad . . .

This looks really bad . . .

Oh wait there’s my Dad . . .!

Why is he crying so much . . .?

Why is he screaming at Jahim’s friends so much?

He doesn’t even want them to touch . . .

How come I don’t remember Dad holding my head

Like that?  How come I didn’t feel his dreads

Touching my face . . .?  Am I . . . am I . . . dead . . .?

(Touches his shirt . . . now sees the growing Red . . .)

But no . . . no . . .!

I’m supposed to go with Dad to the Mets game tomorrow . . .

My Ninth Birthday Present . . . I’ve been looking forward to it . . .!

It’s not fair!  I was hoping to catch a ball from home run hit . . .!

My baby brother . . . my friends . . . (cries out) Mommy!!

What they gon’ do without me?  They need me . . .!

. . . What’s gon happen’ to me now!?

I wanna know how . . .

I can go back . . . I wanna go back . . . now . . .!

Please . . . don’t put me in that Black Tent

Please . . . it’s . . .

The boy is unable to complete the sentence, as he is overcome by hysterical sobs and cries.  But it is completed by his Father, whose voice can be heard yelling:

“. . . Extinction level Event . . .!  Oh God my boy . . . Extinction Level Event . . .!!!”

The boy now begins to trudge despondently back upstage and off to the right, still in the throes of sobbing. 

The music and that of the music box now begin to rise in volume once again to the level at the start of the scene. 

Slowly, one by one, each soul treks its way across the stage disappearing to the left or right as the wind and leaves batter them continuously.

They continue to wander on and off stage as the lights slowly go to black.  The music will continue for ten seconds more during the darkness then slowly fade to nothing.