Fosse: Plays Six

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here

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for I don’t want to be here

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here

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everyone just walks around and sees

the one they think is the other

but it’s themselves they see

they don’t see others

they see something small and petty

they see themselves

yes

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here you can see neither

sky nor ocean

no one can

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and the angels cannot be

here

the light cannot shine

here

and here we have been

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here

here

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where everything’s empty

empty and empty

and alike and alike

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here it’s like that

but in Rambuku everything is

both unlike and alike

in its bursting abundance

how many years have I not been

here with you

you and I have been here

always here

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year in and year out

have we been here

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but we won’t be here

any longer

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for after all these years

Rambuku is coming

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I don’t understand it

I don’t understand myself

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yes that I’ve been here

I shouldn’t have been here

with you

you and I shouldn’t have been here

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for no one can be here

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but why don’t you say something

why don’t you answer

say something

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don’t just stand there

straight up and down

that you just stand there

and look and look

always the same

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you don’t say anything

just stand there

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but now

tosses it aside

now it’s gone

now there’s nothing left

now it’s all finished

now I don’t have to watch

that you just stand there

and look and look

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For it’s not like that in Rambuku

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you are not like that in Rambuku

do you understand what I’m saying

you’re not like that in Rambuku

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yes you know that

you understand that

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don’t you

you do

you understand that

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of course you understand that

and you can see that I’m beautiful

that I’ve dressed up

can’t you

I’ve dressed up for Rambuku

you do see

don’t you

that I’m beautiful

yes you do

yes of course you do

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and when you come to Rambuku

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you’ll see the big birds

birds as big as houses

almost

And they are

translucent

And the songs in Rambuku

they move

in the wind

like the branches of a vast tree

And they spread outwards

and stroke your hair lightly

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the songs

in Rambuku

are there

for you and me

for us

Yes

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And everything’s ready

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you’re ready

I’m ready

and then Rambuku will come

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And you just stand there

and say nothing

just stand there

and look and look

as if nothing has happened

as if nothing will happen

as if this is just an ordinary day

that’s how you stand there

Loudly

But this is not just an ordinary day

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Can’t you see that

But look around

don’t just stand there

look around

look

see what’s happening

see Rambuku opening up

Look

He looks around, quite short pause

And you can see

you can can’t you

that this is not

just an ordinary day

yes you can see that

I know you can see that

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you can see

that this is an extraordinary day

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you can see

that this is the last day

and the first day

I know you can see that

Pause

But don’t stand there like that looking around

He stops looking around

I don’t want to see you here

anymore

I want to see you

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somewhere else

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and now

yes now

now I shall finally

see you in Rambuku

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finally

finally I’ll get to see you in a different light

get to see you

in Rambuku’s light

in the radiant light of Rambuku

shall you be

and there shall I be

there we shall be

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and don’t just stand there

as if someone once

had placed you there

forever

that’s how you stand there

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stand and stand

pause

and look and look

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So say something

yes

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just say something

say something to me

say something

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for I want to know

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yes that you too know

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that something will finish

and something else

great and bright

will begin

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And now you’ll say

please do

for you’ll be saying these things

so often in Rambuku

but say it now

yes

she smiles to herself

say it now

already

say

You are a beautiful woman

please do

You can say that

can’t you

yes

yes

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say it then

say after me

You

Pause

But say it then

say

You

HE

You

SHE

Good

And then you say

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