Poetry With Hart

Characters:

Cc = “Business Goth”

Melody = “Hippie Priestess Vibes”

Iggy = “Punk Mary Poppins”

*

Setting = The stoop outside the backdoor of the kitchen. Iggy is curled up inside somewhere like a cat (on a chair, the floor, a bed, who knows, but she’s absent from this conversation).

Cc smokes a cigar looking tired. Melody walks out the backdoor to take the trash out, and join her on the stoop.

*

Cc: Were going to have to talk about Iggy.

Melody: What do you mean?

Cc: I mean what are we going to do with her?

Melody: I still don’t understand.

Cc: You know as well as I do, she’s out of control. She needs a leash at least… or a muzzle? Bare minimum a bell. Some way to tell when she’s coming out. That or she needs to just go.

Melody: I’m not so sure.

Cc: Oh, please do explain.  I have to know your reasoning.

Melody: Well, for starters you both came from me.

Cc: I know that but–

Melody: Allow me to finish, please and thank you.

Cc: Sorry “Mum”

Melody: Sarcasm noted.

Cc: You know you love it

Melody: I do, and that’s as good a place to start to explain this as any. See you’re both just different parts or versions of how I see the world. Neither good nor bad, just different.  And you protect me, as I protect both of you.

Cc: I know how I protect you. I bring the logical argument into the equation and break everything down its fundamentals, keeping a running character sheet in my head about everyone filled by my perception of their actions. I provide you a logical framework to base decisions off of, though ultimately, you make the choices based on that core values thing you got going. And I know you’ve got that – what’s it called?

Melody: Empathy

Cc: Yeah, it sounds made up. It works I mean that whole you putting yourself in other people’s shoes thing. Feeling what they do. No wonder you don’t wear shoes and why you cry so much everyday.

*Cc in a rare moment of affection? Gives Melody a “bro” hug*

Cc: But how in the – excuse the language but it serves purpose – mother-fucking world does Iggy keep us safe? She’s the one getting us into trouble, testing all the boundaries with everything and everyone like a –

Melody: Child?

Cc: Yeah. Like a teenager who never finished growing up so she wants to fuck and/or fight everything that moves. The two aren’t apparently exclusive.

*Cc goes to relight her forgotten cigar with Iggy’s zippo as she’s too tired to care that it’s covered in stickers and takes a long drag*

Melody: Often, they meet at least one or you both first before they ever get to me. You’re like a different types of firewalls. You keep the main viruses away or remove them once found. She’s like – we pardon the pun –

Cc: Oh gods, don’t say it.

Melody: Malware protection.

Cc: You had to go there.

Melody: I did. But she is. She isn’t predictable so you can’t program around her. You can’t target her. She comes at you with a force of a thousands suns and a manic bundle of fun. If you can’t handle Iggy, you don’t get the …

Cc: Cold heartless bit-

Melody: Storyteller.

Cc: Fair

Melody: And if you can’t get past the two of you. Then you don’t get to see… well whatever it is I am. Still figuring that part out.

*She puts cc’s cigar out and readies to go inside*

Cc: The sweetheart who would mother the world if given the chance.

Melody: Something like that.

Cc: You are the best one of us, you know that? Seeing the rhythm and commonality between all things.

Melodu: I’m only strong when you two allow me space to grow and keep the wolves that would harm us from getting inside.

Cc: Fair.

Melody: So imagine if you two worked together.  If any of us worked together.  My insight into nature and emotion with your stories?  The punch of Iggys rage with your wit? What would happen if –

Cc: Heat death of the universe

Melody: I thought you said that was inevitable?

Cc: So are we.