‘Deer (not a play)’

SCENE:        Sunday. England. Country road.
CAST:           deer
                        Jimi Hendrix
                        limo driver
[Enter deer from woods on right. Stops, stands still on road]
DEER:
Heart                                                                                is
wild muscle
                                                      Hum
[Limo with JH in back approaches on road. JH on cell phone]
JH:
So. Dad. I’m in England.
LD:
Look we got a deer.
JH:
What?
LD:
There.
JH:
Just standing.
LD:
They do that.
DEER:
                                                      Thin to the leap goes exactly what
tired you up                                                 what bracken breaking     Hum
                                                                                        to keep on     Hum
LD:
Young one. Fawn.
JH:
Dad? Far out. A deer. What? I said deer. A deer standing here. White spots on it.
DEER:
        Hum
                                      over this                                     Fool stalkers! Try it
                                                                            My eyes
LD:
There he goes
JH:
Fast motherfucker. Listen, Dad –
LD:
You hit one of those say goodbye to your car.
JH:
I made it in England, Dad . . . Right . . . OK . . . No it rained here . . . Yes . . . OK you go
back to your supper . . . Bye now . . . OK Dad . . . bye.
LD:
What’d he say? About you in England.
deer [now gone in woods]:
My eyes                                                                                               can see
310
degrees around every lick you sail with your tickets gurgling Why have you tied all
that to your arms and legs?                                                                Drinking black trees clawing
                                                                                                                    milk
from the mushrooms                                                                   no I’m not your shy friend
JH:
What he always says, Whale away Jim.
LD:
Got their own angle don’t they, dads.
JH:
Oh don’t they.
LD:
. . .
JH:
. . .
LD:
What is it about deer.
JH:
. . .
LD:
Something.
JH:
They’re clear then they’re gone. As if it didn’t happen type thing.
LD:
Maybe.
JH:
A voice can be like that sometimes. Ever hear J.B. Lenoir?
LD:
I don’t believe so.
JH:
Hear a voice like that. Kind of high. Clear. Sudden. You looking into the man inside.
LD:
You know a lot of musicians?
JH:
No. Well, some.
LD:
John Lennon?
JH:
Vaguely.
LD:
Vaguely [laughs]. Well here we are Heathrow. You seem to have some fans waiting.
JH:
Look like it. Whoah Nelly.
LD:
I’ll drive on to the next gate – they won’t see you.
JH:
No, let me out here this is good. OK man, thanks.
[Exeunt LD in car, JH out of car into crowd]
DEER:
                                                                                             leap exactly                 Hum
                                                                                                                                     Hum
                                      over this
                                           Try zones
                                                                           blown lungs
                                                                                             so strangely relaxed

                                                                                                      have you
whitecold
as if I were earth so strangely relaxed
                                                        Piss down my leg
flag up a whitetail
                                You stand here                                                  there
                                breaking with hints
                                                                     My stain goes to you
                                                                                      open like this I                 dip I
                                                                     and vanish
                                                                                           [Exit]