[JEFF is standing in the dining room. He has an old photo of his 25 year old nephew as a new born baby in one hand and is staring at the palm of his other hand.]

JEFF: Blimey. He used to fit in here. He came from the soul of my sister, my wise, beautiful, generous little sister. He was a portrait of the universe. A crumb of the Earth’s crust. He was an entire ocean and he just fit in my hand. I mean, an entire life just fit in my hand. And those eyes! They were the shape of planets sprinkled with the dust of a future that would blow us away. And he just fit in my hand! Meeting him felt like climbing a tree that was once planted by a stranger three thousand years ago, walking around with my blood in their veins. And he jus-

[SUE, Jeff’s wife, throws a pebble against the French doors from the back of the garden.]

SUE: [Yelling off stage] Get us a dog turd bag.

[Curtain]

Carl Burkitt 2025