A Scene. The Thinkers.

THE THINKERS

Room. Morning. Two chairs and a table.

John has a guitar on his hands and is playing

softly, harmoniously, a sweet song.

Peter is reading the Bible, the Psalms.

John stops playing. After a while. 

John Just to return to our conversation.

            I say that we have to focus on this life.

Peter Right. Have you heard yourself?

John Yes, I always do.

Peter Then you must accept that we humans
             have that metaphysical longing to know
             what lies beyond.

John To know what cannot be known?

Peter What we want to know, John!

John I see. So—

Peter Are you telling me that you think that
            humans only want to be happy here?

            What about death, John?

John What about it.

Peter Death! Death is the greatest unknown!

            It is religions what supply that knowledge,

            John. Religion is the ultimate answer!

John Right. Let me ask you this, my friend.

A seagull flies in the sky over the blue sea.

Silence. A squawk. Then another.

John Imagine you go to another world when you die.

Peter Yes.

John Just imagine.

Peter Yes, yes.

John And then someone comes to you

            and says: “My friend, donʼt even

            think of being happy here, for
            there is another life beyond.”

Peter Come on!

John Let me finish, Peter. And then

            that man is unable to live his life
            meaningfully, happy or not, but
            meaningfully, because he is all the
            time expecting. Expecting, waiting.

            Then he dies and goes to another
            dimension. The second Heaven.

Peter Puf!

John And another person-soul comes and 

           tells him: “Listen, pal. Donʼt even
           think of living a meaningful life here,

           because there is another in the beyond.”

Peter Ha!

John Now. Wonʼt you think an absurd thing
          to do to wait always for another life
          when you have your life here? Canʼt you
          live your life here, now, and if there is
          another, live that in that other dimension?

          Canʼt you live life by life?

Peter Oh, come on, John. Youʼre not being serious.

           What of those others that are deprived of
           means and choices to live a meaningful life

           in this life? Canʼt they have at least a religion
           to give them comfort that there will be
           another for them: that the poor will be
           the rich in the beyond? Hope, hope, John!

John Of course. Of course they are entitled to that
            choice, Peter. But that self-deception is what
            the powerful classes are happy with as long
            as the poor donʼt mess up with them in this

            world. Religions, in other words, play for the
            status quo. What those poor people should
            do, demand, revolt against is the injustice

            of their real situation. Action! Reaction! 

            Religions earn their living by the non-living
            of the dispossessed!

Peter You sound like Marx now, John.

John I donʼt know any Marx, my friend.
           I am more the Ibsenian here.

           But I tell you this: Donʼt lie to people.
           Fight for a society where people may live
           meaningfully.

Peter Another prophet. John, the Marxist.

John [Pointing at his heart] Peter, on this rock

           is the answer. Center on this life. Live this
           life. Allow people to enjoy this life!

Peter I think you are not a religious person,

            and that is why you hate metaphysics.

            John, accept it. You are an atheist.

Silence. A seagull passes by the window in silence.

John If being theist is to tell the dispossessed to
            shut up and wait for another life,
            if there is any, and if there is, to wait
            for the second next, and so ad infinitum,           
            then, Peter, I am an atheist.
            To be otherwise is to be a
            hypocrite, a liar, or one of the absusers.
            Religions are the dreams of the abused. 

Peter The opium, said Karl Marx.

John The dreams, say I. People may dream.
           They are entitled to their dreams.
           But I defend that they live their dreams here,
           in this world, now, in this real life. 

           To make their dreams real here,
           without delusions and self-deceptions.
           If there is another, repeat the same thing.

Peter Whatever.

John Whatever, but in this life first. 

Enters Mary.

Mary Hi, guys. 

            What were you talking about?

Both at the same time.

John Happiness.

Peter Hope.

Curtains.

Piece included in Ricardo Mena, Op. IV, forthcoming.