A monologue written by J.P. Pressley and performed by Stanley Andrew Jackson.
You can watch the performance below and on Instagram, and read the original monologue copy at the bottom of this page.
God, Fish, and Fireworks (Original Copy)
Do you stare at the sky on a normal day? See how long you can stare at the sun, even though you know you shouldn’t? See how many shapes, events, or people the clouds are masquerading as? Or does something special have to be happening, like an eclipse.
(Beat. Compelled to clarify.)
It’s not that I only want to look up, though I suppose most would classify me as an optimist. It’s that I like to slow down. Smell God’s roses. Like … like … ooh, like fish.
I like to imagine that, when it rains, all the fish in the sea stop what they’re doing and watch the rain droplets. That rain is their fireworks, and they all stop to revel in the show.
I like to imagine that a fish, in its simplicity, experiences joy, unadulterated. That it experiences … God. And so I, when I let things be simple — when I stop and look around — can do the same.
(Beat. With wonder. Hope.)
An eclipse only happens every so often. But there’s always a fish watching fireworks.