From Diva Studies: A Verse Play; an excerpt

Scene IV

CHORUS 1

Let us help her find the words
to vocalize her blues
as we’ve done all these centuries.
Sing into the diva’s ear:
catharsis in a diva tongue.

DIVA 2

I have an Al Green Jones.

DIVA 3

Al Green Jones?
Is this fever speaking?

DIVA 4

She’s had it forever.

DIVA 3

I think she has the vapors.

DIVA 2

Al Green for as long as I remember.
Sometimes he calls me on the telephone.

DIVA 1

Al Green calls you up from Memphis?

DIVA 2

Al Green you say you
are wrapped up in my love
wrapped up in my loving
your voice close in my ear
on Mister Telephone, live
from Memphis.

CHORUS 4

Love and happiness,
makes you wanna do right.

CHORUS 5

I’m so tired of being alone
I’m so tired of being
wrapped up in the night
wontcha help me girl
just as soon as you can.

DIVA 2

Just as soon as I can
Just as soon as I can

CHORUS 4

I been wanting to get next to you, Baby.

DIVA 2

Al Green your voice
is howling.

CHORUS 5

Let me
be the one
you come running
to.
I’ll
never be
un-
true.

DIVA 2

It sounds so simple.
Just—let’s stay together.

CHORUS 4

I   I   I
wrapped up in your love

DIVA 2

Night-light through your ears,
your red rooster strut.
I loved a man with a red rooster strut.

DIVA 1

I want to see that—a red rooster strut.

CHORUS 4

Let us help her find the words,
Let us help her find the words.

CHORUS 3

How does a diva fall apart?

DIVA 2

He used to call me
mi amor,
mi buen amor,
mi deliria—

DIVA 3

He used to say

DIVA 5

    but doesn’t now?

DIVA 2

Mi amor, mi buen amor, mi deliria.

DIVA 1

Her husband doesn’t love her anymore?

DIVA 2

He used to say, mi amor, mi buen amor, mi deliria.
I am leaving my man, I am falling apart.

CHORUS 1

How does a diva fall apart?
Does she generate a huracan
from the solar plexus?
Does she fall down and wail?
Does she put on her gown and her jewels,
her diamonds and her Presidential medals,
and then freeze out the universe by cutting her eyes?

DIVA 2

I want to be nature, all nature,
caterwauling,
huracan from the solar plexus spinning
breathing, not breathing, falling,
huracan from the solar plexus.

DIVA 3

Aren’t you going to get angry?
I think that it’s time.

DIVA 2

You can think what you please.

DIVA 4

Give the woman some space.

DIVA 3

But her man was a dog.
You got to learn to tell a real Rolex
from a fake Rolex.
That Negro is a fake Rolex
and everyone knows a fake Rolex
can’t keep time.

DIVA 1

What does caterwauling mean?

DIVA 4

“To cry or wail, as cats in rutting time.”

DIVA 2

When you get close to love
it looks ugly sometimes.

DIVA 3

Love shouldn’t wound you
as much as this did.

DIVA 4

I think what she’s saying—

DIVA 2

I’ll speak for myself,
when I’m ready, merci.

CHORUS 2

She’s shutting down. This isn’t working.

CHORUS 1

We need to act decisively.
If they feed her belly,
she’ll relax enough to open
up her soul and hear the music.

DIVA 1

I think I’ll get more tea.

DIVA 5

I think we need wine.

DIVA 4

    Yes!
A bottle of French red.
Well, no, maybe several—

DIVA 5

—and make her some food
like our mothers would do
for our little-girl blues.

DIVA 2

I don’t want to eat.
These aren’t little-girl blues.

DIVA 4

You don’t want peas and rice?

DIVA 5

I could make chicken curry.

DIVA 1

My tofu tastes good, and
you told me that...