To Be a Dog

Open scene:

Actor sits in a chair, only a table around him, Pantomiming working furiously, he sits, undisturbed, until a dog (possibly another actor in costume) saunters over and nudges his hand with its nose. The actor looks surprised, pets it for a while, the dog walks away, and the actor smiles happily. The dog walks six feet away before lying down and going to sleep, kicking in its dreams. The actor becomes pensive. He begins:

Actor:

Oh, To be a dog,

A House dog of course, not a mangy beast of the streets,

Nor a working dog, muzzled until needed, restrained by a military

Grade harness, ready at all times to sniff out a bad guy

Or find a crushed human.

Yes! (Yes, as if having an epiphany) To be a house dog, lazily walking

Stalking, the only worry being the rabbits infiltrating the yard.

Sleeping when I wanted, Eating when I wanted, wondering about none of Life’s

Trouble.

Naps in the sunlight, sitting at the table during mealtime.

Happily licking the master’s face at first light,

Silently screaming, “Wake up! It is Light again! Play with me!”

Why can’t I live like that? Doing what I wanted, when I wanted,

Whatever it is I fancied? Why can’t I jump in tall grass,

Ungracefully crash through waves at the beach?

Run Like a Hyena, or hunt insects in a stance like a spring ready to be sprung?

Sleep when they do, wake up when they do, EAT what they…(a projection of dog food, wet and dry mixed)

…Oh…

End Scene.