The Rachel Variations

Playwrite Steven Dietz revised the classic drama "The Sea Gull" by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, but couldn't quite decide how to enact the last scene between the two principle characters, Nina and Treplev. Dietz's imagination left him with 43 alternate endings. These were compiled into a new drama called "The Nina Variations." I don't know how my vision's "script" will end, so I wrote a few different options.


I

I slide the 25th sheet into its clear
page-protector and review
snippets of Truth
fragments of Light
hues of Hope
that I tried to pin on paper.

God and
I created

together.

And that’s enough for me.

I close the notebook and
put it back on my shelf.


II

She found it a while ago and
would not let me have it back.
She has a connection,
she said,
who might be interested in
seeing this collection of…
chopped & glued paper?
jumbled wordwork?

CREATEDNESS.

Editions, additions, subtractions
later—the pre-release copy sits
open in my hands.

God and I created together.
And that’s enough for me.

I close the bookette and
put it back on my shelf.


III

Someone gave it to him—
he doesn’t know what it is.
A strange picture-book.

From the unfolded binding
spill
echoes of beauty
shards of redemption
fragrance of grace.

He closes the book and
puts it back on the shelf.

And then picks it up again.