40: Not to say anything in their defense
The Book of Knowledge
Laws of Idolatry and Paganism
Not to say anything in [the missionary’s] defense (Deut. 13:9)
an empty ranger station
a distress call comes in on the radio
lots of white noise fills the gaps between lines
hello?-
-there’s a storm-
-and my leg is-
-black clouds over head-
-fractured most likely-
-is anybody-
-i’m in a cabin-
-in Christ’s name-
-drove three hours-
-help-
lights down
lights up
a new day
a call comes in on the radio
-dwindling light-
-in the snow-
-SOS-
-radar radar-
-bear warnings they said-
-fucking kitchen knife or anything to help-
-my mother gave me these mittens-
lights down
lights up
a new day
a call comes in
-pipes frozen-
-leg gone numb-
-a white pall before me-
-prayed all night-
-coiling in my eyeballs-
-two maybe three days-
-saving them for a rainy-
-distress distress distress-
-i don’t know why i hiked this-
-am i alone-
-is anyone out there?-
-someone must be listening-
lights down
lights up
a RANGER enters
sits down
a call comes in
the RANGER just listens
-dragged myself to-
-the leg completely-
-ate my toes that helped-
-tasted squiggly-
-icicles from the sky-
-pierced a deer to the porch-
-frozen too-
-all frozen-
-when will i die-
lights out
lights up
a new day
the RANGER is gone
a call comes in
-there is nothing-
-there is nothing-
-there is nothing-
-there is nothing-
-there is nothing-
-there is nothing-
-there is-
lights down
lights up
a new day
a call comes in
-on the eighth day God created the worm the worm was not made in the first seven days for the worm would serve God in ways none of the other beasts could the worm would be an omen it would portend death when the worm enters your body this is how you know decay approaches this is how it reaches you this is how your legs slough off your arms slough off your skin pulsates and rots and sinks beneath the bone your body wriggles with gasses and bugs and you become the worm you become the worm when i killed him he became-
lights down
lights up
a new day
a call comes in
-forgive me forgive me i didn’t want to but God commanded it he came at night and spake thus
lights down
lights up
a new day
a call comes in
all we hear is growling
a RANGER enters
sits down
listens for a while as the growling continues
for the first time the RANGER answers the radio
speaks into it
RANGER
you’ve done a bad thing
you’ve done a very very bad thing
whispered
you deserve this
RANGER gets up
leaves
a demonic howl comes through the radio
it grows along with the white noise
the sounds smother us
END OF PLAY