(Time: 30 years have passed since Dish ran away with Spoon. Place: A neat middle class living room. Spoon lazes in easy chair, engrossed in magazine. Dish sits on couch, knitting. Lamps, tables, bookcase, etc. Painting of ‘Cow over Moon’ above fireplace.)
Dish (dreamy, sets knitting on lap): Remember when we ran away?
Spoon: Hmm?
Dish: I said, Remember when we ran away?
Spoon (looking at her over half-specs): Yes. What about it?
Dish: It was so romantic.
Spoon (returning to magazine): I suppose it was.
Dish: Is that all you have to say? Why have you changed? I haven’t changed. I would still run away. You wouldn’t. You’d rather dig olives from cans or scoop up pablum!
Spoon (puts magazine down, turns to face Dish): Now what brings this on all of a sudden? I know! You were out with Saucer today, weren’t you?
Dish: What if I was?
Spoon: Well, that explains everything. I suppose she went on and on about how romantic Cup is, never at peace unless he’s sitting on her. Isn’t that right? (Dish nods, too overcome to speak. Spoon crosses to couch, catches up Dish in an embrace, and turns with her to face the painting above the fireplace.) It was after midnight. That crazy cat was a fiddling fool. We danced in the moonlight. I’d never seen anything more beautiful than you. Still haven’t. That stupid dog was laughing like a hyena. The cow jumped, and I looked into your eyes. Yes, my darling, I looked into your eyes like this, and you captured me forever, captured me forever in love.
Curtain
Steve Shilstone of http://bekkaofthorns.com and also in addition of http://dochortonsloondiary.com
This is great, Steve! A very different take on an old nursery rhyme. I wonder how innocent these rhymes really were… Hm…
Marci