The Anonymous Blonde's Parlor Games for the Next Millenium

Play #3, Actor A

Okay, so where is it?

Why did you put it there?

It does not! The temperature is self-regulating! It says so on the package.

Not anything, just stuff I know I can trust.

No, I used a dictionary. And anyway there are pictures.

It's very artful.

Yeah, so it's an abstract picture. Listen, I know you don't believe in abstract art, but you should check this one out. I mean, doesn't it convey the concept beautifully?

I know, it's amazing, huh?

Now you see what I mean.

Well, you can interpret it anyway you want, but I feel that it conveys very strongly that we don't need to keep anything cold, or hot, or whatever, it will be fine just --

What do you mean?

That's what it says to you, but to ME it says --

You are so single-minded! It's great that you're trying to be creative, but I really feel that we need to work on you opening your mind, not just to your own ideas, but to the ideas of others. Remember when I read you that poem, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird?" Remember?

But you really liked that poem.

Maybe, just for once, we won't talk about what you want to talk about just because you want to talk about it.

See, you always try to change the subject. That's what you want to talk about, because you're uncomfortable talking about poetry. You're uncomfortable with the blackbird.

Would you rather talk about "Study of Two Pears?"

Okay, well, at least we're communicating.

What are you trying to tell me?

I know that's the central metaphor that you've been using, yes.

Everything is a metaphor. But I have to admit, I'm finding the metaphor a little opaque. Could you explain it to me?

It said in the instructions not to.

Yeah, but you've corrupted it.

You have. You've contaminated it. It's like, I don't trust censored items. I don't trust revision. You know? I can't trust that anymore.

Okay.