a monologue from the new play, a song from the old country
THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2:07 AM EST
YUSEF EXPERIENCES THE CITY FIRSTHAND
LOCATION: 44TH ST AND BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY, NY
(Yusef is dressed in the clothes of his
grandfather. He is still new to the
city. Hundreds of people, invisible or
real, push past him. He stands on one
of the busiest street corners of the
world at the busiest time of day. He
is oblivious to the throngs of people,
the noise, the light, and the smoke.
He reads the worn notebook with
brown handwriting.)
How to become invisible in the city when you are a foreign object, A survival guide by Bashir for his unborn progeny:
Wear the colors of the streets, grays and browns, shabby but not too shabby.
Do not emit noticeable body odor.
Step softly. Walk quickly but not too quickly.
Look no one in the eye directly.
Observe everything, say nothing.
Forget your homeland. Embrace the flood tide.
Eat the local foods that do not make you sick.
Stand in a line, any line you can find.
If someone asks you why you are in line, never under any circumstance, answer.
Breath in cadence to the street lights until it becomes habit.
Admire grass if you encounter it and the milk bone skin of city women,
the cinnamon skin, the clove, the obsidian.
Admire women with almond eyes and remember the beauty of your homeland.
Never forget your homeland.
Travel only by the power of your feet or locomotive.
Beware of the rip-tide, it will invariably carry you into the deep sea.
If you find yourself carried out to sea, stop swimming, you will tired out and be more difficult to recover.
Scan the horizon for low-hanging clouds and always be prepared for inclement weather.
When possible, cross rooms in a diagonal, it is neither confrontational nor cowardly.
To prove your own invisibility: pick one person and follow them everywhere, unobserved, until you are detected or grow bored.
(The crowd of people grows
more aggressive. Yusef is swept away
by the visible or invisible masses.)
YUSEF EXPERIENCES THE CITY FIRSTHAND
LOCATION: 44TH ST AND BROADWAY, NEW YORK CITY, NY
(Yusef is dressed in the clothes of his
grandfather. He is still new to the
city. Hundreds of people, invisible or
real, push past him. He stands on one
of the busiest street corners of the
world at the busiest time of day. He
is oblivious to the throngs of people,
the noise, the light, and the smoke.
He reads the worn notebook with
brown handwriting.)
How to become invisible in the city when you are a foreign object, A survival guide by Bashir for his unborn progeny:
Wear the colors of the streets, grays and browns, shabby but not too shabby.
Do not emit noticeable body odor.
Step softly. Walk quickly but not too quickly.
Look no one in the eye directly.
Observe everything, say nothing.
Forget your homeland. Embrace the flood tide.
Eat the local foods that do not make you sick.
Stand in a line, any line you can find.
If someone asks you why you are in line, never under any circumstance, answer.
Breath in cadence to the street lights until it becomes habit.
Admire grass if you encounter it and the milk bone skin of city women,
the cinnamon skin, the clove, the obsidian.
Admire women with almond eyes and remember the beauty of your homeland.
Never forget your homeland.
Travel only by the power of your feet or locomotive.
Beware of the rip-tide, it will invariably carry you into the deep sea.
If you find yourself carried out to sea, stop swimming, you will tired out and be more difficult to recover.
Scan the horizon for low-hanging clouds and always be prepared for inclement weather.
When possible, cross rooms in a diagonal, it is neither confrontational nor cowardly.
To prove your own invisibility: pick one person and follow them everywhere, unobserved, until you are detected or grow bored.
(The crowd of people grows
more aggressive. Yusef is swept away
by the visible or invisible masses.)