Prayers

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As for you,
my galvanized friend,
you want a heart.
You don't know
how lucky you are,
not to have one.
Hearts will never
be practical,
until they are made
unbreakable.
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
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"You can do it,
Lord.
I KNOW You CAN."

"What,
My precious."

"Gimme a HARDENED
HEART!"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"Ya KNOW:
like, You did with
PHARAOH!"

[CURIOUS GAZE.]
"When was that,
My precious."

"You REMEMBER!

It was.....right HERE:

And the Lord
said to Moses,
When you go back
to Egypt,
see that you do
all those wonders
before Pharaoh
which I have put
in your hand.
But,
I will harden his
heart, so
that he will not
let the people go.
[Exodus 4:21]

SEE?
You hardened HIS!
Why can't Ya do
that, for ME?"

[FIRM VOICE.]
"No."

(Whiny, childish voice.)
"WHY?
WHY NOT?"

[STRONG VOICE.]
"Cuz.
I said so."

(Whinier voice.)
"AW!
Come ON!
I KNOW,
You can DO IT!
I KNOW You CAN!"

"Why do you
wish to be like
the Pharaoh,
Mein kin'der."

"HEY!
We had a LOT,
in COMMON,
LORD!
And....I need
a HARDENED
HEART!"

[PATIENT GAZE.]
[MAKE SOME RAIN
DROPS INTO THE
WARM SAN ANTONIO
NIGHT.]

(Pleading voice,
up to ceiling.)
"We both loved CATS!
And....eh...BOTH 'a us
knew....a lotta' JEWISH
PEOPLE!"

[BURST OUT LAUGHING!]

(Thoughtful squint.)
"And....we BOTH used
a lotta EYELINER,
in our DAY!"

[PATIENT SIGH.]

"And.....BOTH of
us, had our EARLOBES,
PIERCED!
SEVERAL TIMES!"

"Where does
it say that,
O beloved?"

"It's right HERE!
Ya KNOW:
that part,
where Ya tell
the Hebrews
not to have their
EARS PIERCED,
like the EGYPTIANS!"

[NOD.]
"Read It,
to Me."

"I can't FIND IT!
It's somewhere.....
in LEVITICUS!"

[SOLEMN NOD.]

(Silence.)
"Hey, LORD?
I didn't know
You put the GECKO,
in HERE!

Look:

And, these
you shall regard
as an abomination...
they shall not
be eaten.....
These also shall be
unclean to you....
the mole,
the mouse,
and....the gecko.
[Leviticus 11:13-30]

Did YOU KNOW,
that, one day....
it was gonna be
a CAR INSURANCE
ADVERTISEMENT...LOGO?"

[SHAKE FATHERLY
HEAD IN CONSTERNATION.]
[SIGH.]

"That's pretty NEAT!
I can SEE WHY,
You didn't want the
HEBREW CHILDREN
to EAT THEM!"

[GAZE AT THE
SPACE GARBAGE
FLOATING AROUND
THE SPACE STATION.]
[PATIENT SMILE.]

(Clueless squint.)
"I forget what I
was talkin' about,
Lord."

[NOD.]
"Good,
child."

(Point up to ceiling.)
"Uh, UH!
I REMEMBER NOW!
I wanted You to
make me a
HARDENED HEART!"

[NOD.]
"Read that Part,
to Me,
child."
[TENDER SMILE.]
"The One,
about the earlobes."
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You shall not
make any cuttings
in your flesh
for the dead;
nor tattoo
any marks
on you;
I am the Lord.
[Leviticus 19:28]

______________________
Are ye going to
Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage,
rosemary and thyme.
Remember me
to the one who lives there;
he was once
a true love
of mine.
(Simon and Garfunkle; 1966)

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