[Newspoetry] die. a log.

[david moses fruchter]

or,

a parable of exhaustion.

or,

the presidential debates, prior to the addition of cgi effects.

or,

subjectification.

or,

getting there.

* * *

A and B enter.  each carries their own Object.  they sit in chairs opposite one another, each with a side to the audience.  each chair has a small table in front of it; A & B each place their object on the table in front of them.

A:  here we are.

B:  yes.

<pause>

A:  "you" are looking well today.

B:  yes.  so are "you".

A:  yes.

<pause>

A:  i feel in need of more formal constraint.

B:  heh.  heh.

A:  it's not a joke.

B:  heh.  heh.

A:  i mean it.

B:  stop it.

A:  seriously.

B:  you're killing me.

<pause>

A:  you see, i know where i'm going, but i'm not sure how to get there.  i feel that if i had more rules to go by, i could use them as steps to get to where i want to go.

B:  you know where you want to go.

A:  yes.

B:  and this is too -- wide open?  would that be fair to say?

A:  fair.  i just need a little more guidance.

B:  rules.

A:  structure.

B:  instruction.

A:  exactly.

B:  that's what you think.

<pause>

A:  what?

B:  people often don't need what they think they need.  in this case, that's you.

A:  are you saying i don't really want to get to where i want to go?  with all this?

B:  no.

A:  no?

B:  no.

A:  then what are you saying?

B:  i'm saying that you don't need what you think you need, in order to get to where you think you want to go.

A:  wait, though -- you said "where you think you want to go."  aren't you saying, there, that i don't want to go where i think i want to go?

B:  no, though how someone could know they want to be somewhere they haven't been yet is rather beyond me -- but that's not what i'm saying.

A:  than what are you saying?

B:  i'll say it again: even given that you really do want to get to where you think you want to go, with all this, you don't need what you think you need to get there.

A:  refresh my memory.  what do i think i need to get to where i want to go, that i really don't need?

B:  structure.  formal constraint.

A:  oh, that's right....well, i still think i need more.  we've been going along for a while now without it, without more structure, and we haven't gotten any closer to where i want to go; that proves it.

B:  completely untrue.

<pause>

A:  what?

B:  incorrect; false; lacking in verity.  altogether wrong.

A:  what is?

B:  what you just said, in at least three respects.

A:  such as?

B:  one.  we have, in fact, been enveloped in more and more structure as this has progressed.  two.  we have, in fact, been getting closer to where you think you want to go, as we've gone along.  three.  three.  even if we had not grown more and more structured, and we also had not gotten any closer to where you think you want to go, that would not at all prove that the lack of increased structure was causing the lack of progress.  correlation is not causation.

<pause>

A:  ok.  wait.  are you saying that we're actually getting closer to where i think -- i mean, where i want to go?  with all this?

B:  indubitably.

<pause>

A:  well, listen.  i know where i want to go, and it doesn't look like we're getting any closer to me.

B:  i also know where you think you want to go.

A:  you do?

B:  yes.

A:  how do you know that?

B:  the answer to that question has very much to do with where you want to go -- so we'll get to that later.  as it happens, i know some other things about you too, and from them i know that we're getting closer to where you think you want to go.

A:  you do?

B:  yes.

A:  explain how!

B:  i will!

A:  do!

B:  here i go!

A:  watch your dust!

<pause>

B:  for example, i know that you are bound and determined to get to where you want to go.  you fully intend to get there, and you will not stop until you have.  is that fair to say?

A:  fair.  i have that intention.  though i don't know how --

B:  you don't have to know how, for this proof to work.  your intention will suffice, assuming you have the strength of resolve to *stick* to it --

A:  oh, i do!

B:  that's what i'm assuming.

A:  good!  i think.

B:  that is another question altogether.  what i'm saying is, if you're not going to stop before you get to where you think you want to go, then you will necessarily get there.  and furthermore, every step you take -- every step we have taken -- is necessarily a step towards that event.  that's how time works.

A:  the whole past-future thing.

B:  exactly.

A:  i still don't see how you're so sure we're going to get to where i think i -- where i WANT to go.

B:  because you don't see how we're going to get there from here.

A:  exactly.

B:  then i'll tell you.

A:  do!

B:  i will.

<pause>

B:  what will happen is, you'll get so tired of trying to get to where you think you want to go, that you'll give up.  you'll decide to end this whole charade.  and then you'll arrive, despite yourself.

A:  are you sure?

B:  positive.

A:  ok, smart guy...we'll just see about that.

B:  yes we will.

<pause>

<pause>

<pause>

A:  i still don't feel like we're getting any closer.

B:  i know.

A:  but you say we are?

B:  absolutely.

<pause>

<pause>

A:  i'm getting sick of this.

B:  that's a good sign.

A:  maybe for you.  for me, it stinks.

B:  not for me -- for your getting to where you think you want to go.

A:  oh yeah...that.  to tell you the truth, i'm not even that interested in it anymore.  or in getting there.

B:  you're not?

A:  nope.

B:  good.  in that case, i believe that it's time for me to tell you one more thing i know about you.

A:  well, since you have such a stellar track record to date, why don't you just go ahead.

B:  i will.

A:  oh, please do.

B:  watch my dust.

A:  oh, i will.

<pause>

B:  here's what i know:  where you think you want to go is to the revelation of a particular piece of information.

A:  yes, that's right.  how did you know that?

B:  that has to do with the information you think you want to reveal.

A:  ok, i can see that.

B:  let me ask you something, for once.

A:  ok.

B:  what's the information you think you want to reveal?

A:  well, i'm not so sure i want to now...but what it was, was, that "you" and "i" -- these bodies, the ones whose vocal cords are moving -- are not actually conversing.  that it's these objects before us which are actually having a conversation, using "our" bodies as mouthpieces.

<pause>

<pause>

<pause>

B:  there, that wasn't that hard, was it?

A:  fuck you, you filthy fucking ape.

<blackout.>

***

epilogue:  the origin.

<dbauler> this one's simple: two objects, two characters. the objects are sentient, the characters are not, although they can be commanded by distance through the objects).

<moses> that's an inherently self-contradictory assignment....i like it!