Bonus 3: The Yearning

The Yearning…
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Lucy went looking one night,
for what she did not know,
other than something was
pulling little heart to and fro
(Girl walking unsure.)

She searched under her bed,
but found only monsters there,
who did not understand
why she should despair.

To make herself calm
Lucy followed the breeze,
that for the briefest while
whispered “Do as you please”

But still the feeling
without a name,
itched and scratched
and caused her pain.

The trees, they all told Lucy;
“Maybe you’re just bored.”
“I want more!” she cried.
“More, more, more…!”
(Dingo or two behind trees, one sitting in plain sight, all watching.)

Lucy asked the owl,
“What is this mess?
That my heart should be
so lonely, at best?”
(Dingos now, not hunting, just following her.)

She asked the mermaid in the well,
“What should I do?
With out rhyme or reason,
I somehow feel blue.”

She told the light of the moon,
as it shone on her face,
“This want has me looking
all over the place!”

“Shadows,” Lucy asked,
of the dark in the park,
“Will you direct me to
my yearning’s task?”

The shadows pushed forward,
a very special fish,
who scooted around,
in very special dish.
(Small old trout with long white beard poking out of a fishbowl with small steam motor and wheels, being pushing forward by hand from the dark.)

“Follow me,” it said.
“Now, or never again.
And I’ll explain this problem…”
as it began to rain.
(Fish with umbrella, girl with small rainy cloud over her, bending to watch as its bowl drives off.)

And the owl followed,
the mermaid and fox,
pushed by the breeze,
under the moon’s silver locks.

The bats all joined in,
marsupials, too,
the haunted pricked their dead ears,
witches stopped cooking brews.

Everybody fascinated,
at what a little girl might do…

“Now, whatever you’re feeling,”
said the wise old trout,
“Don’t fight it, or spite it…
Let it out, LET IT OUT…!”
(Fish motioning for her to mount a penny farthing bike. Beside it, a bunyip is waiting politely, formally. One dingo sleeping curled up beside it.)

Finally atop of
a creepy old hill,
Lucy let her little girl’s
hopeless heart spill.
(Fish, bunyip and fox setting up small contraptions around girl, while she pouts, about to cry. Cloudy, rusty dusk sky behind her.)

She cried a big sob,
that caught in a balloon,
that was gently pushed forward,
by an old bunyip’s tune.
(Girl, still on top of penny farthing bike, sobbing into small old mouth piece/funnel, attached to thin gears and cogs, that blow up a balloon. Bunyip behind her, politely holding a small microphone. The bike has an areal with an old transistor radio hanging from it behind the balloon.)

“That yearning you’ve caught,
may seem frustrating,
but the need it causes,” he said,
“is so much better than waiting,”
(Fish up close, pointing to a map with dotted line that leads to a love heart, explaining to confused girl)

“Waiting?” Lucy asked,
“I’m not sure what you mean?”
“Follow your heart,” the fish said.
“And it’s lovely lean…”
(Bunyip singing into microphone, music coming out of radio, pushing balloon, bike starting to go forward. Girl, map rolled in hand, looking back to fish as it talks. Other creatures waving.)

“Every time you have doubt,
when the world is too still,
when everything feels the same,
and all sums come to nil…”
(Girl on bike, unsure, looking ta amazing things, three o four dingos running by her side, moon high.)

“Let your yearning go,
and oh, oh,
oh,
fast, high, low or slow,
please follow it so…
(Girl standing on bike seat, one hand on chest, as it moves forward, dingos still running bedside it, her other hand out high, singing to trolls, who are all waltzing.)

It will lead you to trouble,
But also to joy,
to wonder, challenges…
Adventures, ahoy…!
(Girl pushing bike through mud, while all dingos watch from its seat. Moon is playing the flute.)

With nothing more
that need be said,
Lucy embraced her yearning…
(Girl tying map with love heart, to makeshift mast on front of bike, turning it into a sail. She has miner’s helmet on with torch shining. One of the dingos, deadpan, holding the balloon.)

and off they sped…
(Girl, feet high, sail billowing, torch shining on love heart.)

 

The End.