Older Men and Younger Women
SCENE ____ OLDER MEN
CHARACTERS
Older Man
Younger Woman
Middle Aged Man
Mixed cafe group
Bard (plain text quoted from Robert Burns)
OLDER MAN AND YOUNGER WOMAN SEATED OPPOSITE EACH OTHER IN CAFE
MIDDLE AGED MAN SEATED NEXT TO YOUNGER WOMAN.
ALL OTHERS SEATED OR MINGLING IN BACKGROUND.
MIDDLE AGED MAN GETS UP AND MINGLES, DEJECTED.
OLDER MAN (ENGAGES YOUNGER WOMAN IN FATHERLY DISSERTATION)
Older men have in their faces
The key to what their life embraces,
When at the eyes some mirthful lines
Or sunken sockets another defines.
And on a glance a glint to catch
Of superficial mind or depth,
To say where lies the soul beneath?
The last domain life doth bequeath.
Yet some may make a quick transition,
Reflecting eye contact as if a mission
Believing there's a heart to tend
But not so sure how it would end,
And on reflection in that instant
That older face betrays a distant
Memory of a bygone time
That all too often ends the rhyme.
But think on this you younger miss
Though youthful men display their passion
Their prime concern is quick remission
Of a maid quick to submission.
And older men had their times too,
As oft their wrinkled faces show,
Of many a time of easy doing
Without a heart at stake from wooing.
And now they wear the mask of truth.
How many heartbreaks is the proof,
And you will quickly learn to see
If they would do the same to thee.
And when, young Miss, you get to reckoning
What is the promise there that's beckoning
Know what you seek is bliss from union
Based on kindness, love and understanding.
An older man for whom you fall
Is the better bet that bliss may call
SWITCH TO MIDDLE AGED MAN LISTENING TO THE BARD AND SPEAKING TO HIMSELF.
BARD (QUOTE FROM ROBERT BURNS)
I wandered wayward and unwise
A way I fear I'll dearly rue
I got my death from two sweet eyes
Two lovely eyes of bonny blue
MIDDLE AGED MAN
What is it that my fate should be
To ever actually meet with you
Whose eyes engaged the soul in me
Pleading for her own, pursue.
BARD
She would not speak nor yet say no
Perhaps she'll listen to my view;
Should she refuse to death I'll go
For those two eyes of bonny blue.
MIDDLE AGED MAN
She did not speak much, nor yet say no,
I know she read what I had to say.
She made her choice - I had her go,
Gave him a second chance. Now I pray.
BARD
One look deprived me of my heart
And I became her lover.
MIDDLE AGED MAN
BY THIS TIME EVERYONE HAS WANDERED OFF
BARD IS ALONE ON STAGE ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE WITH SOME NEW FOUND ENTHUSIASM FOR THE SITUATION
BARD
What is wit? What part is bliss?
Assuming that's the goal of this
A smile conveys a wantonness
So that's the start of wanting this.
A laugh identifies a need
For souls to get a basic feed
Of what it is that they do hunger
And that is common ground to plunder.
But wit has depth, a cunning sod,
Can get a laugh, a smile, a nod,
A recognition of perception
From the subject of inspection.
Said Pope " True wit is nature to advantage dressed,
What oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed"
Provided that, of course, implies
The recipients had open eyes.
Which takes us to the essence of
The willingness to share thereof
A propensity to stake a claim
To common ground (which is the same)
For no amount of lurid joking
Gets any closer to good poking,
Save that it introduce the subject,
That physical part here out of context.
(MIDDLE AGED MAN ENTERS RIGHT SPEAKING TO HIMSELF AS BARD GOES OFF BESIDE HIM, UNSEEN)
MIDDLE AGED MAN
How then with wit do we conspire
To hunt down bliss in heart's desire?
YOUNGER WOMAN ENTERS LEFT - ENTHUSIASTICLY FRONTED BY MIDDLE AGED MAN
MIDDLE AGED MAN
Tarry a moment and think on this
T'is to marry you I inspire for bliss!
For broken hearts are two a penny,
And to partner a while may suit the canny.
YOUNGER WOMAN (Blushing)
But bliss demands a welding of spirit
MIDDLE AGED MAN
And the vows of marriage to attest to it!
YOUNGER WOMAN (unbelieving)
So what is spirit, what is it?
MIDDLE AGED MAN
It's our very being, the inner bit.
That's hidden from the conscious plays
Contradictions in so many ways.
YOUNGER WOMAN
Then what has wit got to do with this
And what has this got to do with bliss.
MIDDLE AGED MAN
Wit has a way of working the spirit
To a fever pitch with which to split it
From conscience's cage embroiled in duty,
From a false accord with security.
YOUNGER WOMAN
From a compromise with some pleasure?
From a convenience with selfish measure?
Wit has a way of mending the spirit?
MIDDLE AGED MAN
And forever welding up parts that don't fit.
MIDDLE AGED MAN
Is the bliss to be shared between you and me.