MILE 6 "Daddy O"

 

LOCATION: North Beach in the City Lights Bookstore poetry corner

 

 

Tony

(A nouveau Beat poet stands at a microphone)

 

"Daddy O"

 

Ooooooooohhhhhhhhh!

Okay…. I'm okay.

Here I am.

I'm out… And cold.

I'm here, it's now…

And you're not her-

Where is she?

She's gone.

The one I came from…

She's not here.

Who are you?

With the sad face?

You're you.

You're not me.

You're big and old and-

But, I like you too…

You make me laugh.

I crawl away and you come after me.

I fall and you catch me.

I drop things and you pick them up.

Almost all the time.

You're a big bear, you're my bear.

My big Dad, Dad, Daddy-O.

I'm bigger now and older.

I catch the ball when you throw it to me.

And I throw up...

On the front porch, past midnight.

And you know why.

You can smell it on my breath.

Why can't you be cool.

If she were alive… she wouldn't.

I hate you. I am nothing like you…

You're really old and stupid.

You lied when you said it was okay.

It’s not my fault she died...

I move out and I'm on my own again.

I get a life and a wife and a son of my own.

And then we're on our own but I've got to be alone.

So, can you watch him?

You’ll like him, he's just like me at that age...

And I'm just like you were then.

Hey, you were pretty cool…

when you were my age, you know?

That whole North Beach “beat” thing.

The poetry and the jazz and shit.

All the wine and the pot.

Now look at your pot belly.

So old and tired.

Tried everything...

Tired of everything.

But hey, you know I like you.

You old fart…

Dad, you're okay.

Are you okay?

You'll be okay...

Hey, remember me.

Do you remember me?

Dad? Dad? Daddy-O?

 

(He steps away from the mic)

 

“Daddy-0” thank you and goodnight.

 

The other poets in the room snap their fingers in appreciation.