KARMA?

A monologue exploring hypocrisy and greed from a homeless man's perspective.

KARMA? 

Aren is a homeless man. Can be played as if speaking to another homeless person/member of the public or directed at the audience.

Aren: His shoes are glistening. First thing I notice. Like, there's shiny and than there's......Couldn't have been genuine leather, I mean, it's been a long while since I've.....But I swear real leather isn't supposed to shine like that. Anyway, I look up and he's stood there with an envelope, I think, ah great, here we go. Hardly anything good ever comes in, out of an envelope. One benefit of not having a permanent address. And he says something about a section 30....35.... basically, he's from the council and, apparently, I've broken some rule, regulation, bullshit, and I've been....He didn't say banned....What was the word he used now? Reproached?....Reprimanded? Reprimanded. Think that was it. Basically, I'm not allowed to be seen, 'loitering', that's what he said, 'loitering', in the area, If I am than I could be fined, taken to court, blah, blah, blah, you know, all that. So I gotta go, get up and go.

He couldn't have come at a worse time coz I'd just got back from Pret, and there I was sat with a coffee in one hand and one of those panini's in the other, so, I look.....And I actually feel guilty. Ashamed like. Coz there I am, looking like.....I mean, Pret was the closest one. Wouldn't have looked so bad if it was Starbucks. Or Costa even. That's why if I can, I'll always go Greggs, get myself a sausage roll and crappy cup of tea, no one looks at you twice then. (Beat) But then I think, no, why should I feel guilty? I'm a human being. I shouldn't be ashamed just because I'm eating. No. But I can tell what he's thinking. So I said to him, I've done a lot of good for people round here. So I don't know why I'm being turfed off like some.... It's because of me someone won the lottery. Then he looks really confused. So I show him my sign. Well, my s****y bit of cardboard. And all I've got written on it is the word Karma. With a question mark. Karma with a question mark. I tried all that, I've fallen on hard times, you know, all that spiel. Well, the truth. Wrote my whole tragic life story down once. Nothing. Not a penny. No one could be bothered to read it. Wouldn't even make eye contact with me. But, just by writing that, that one word. People were lobbing money at me left right and centre (Laughs to himself). I existed again. You see because now they think if they give me money something good will happen to them. They'll be repaid for their good deed. And that's the real problem, aint it? With humanity. That's the problem. It's not me 'loitering', no, that's not.....We've got much bigger problems than that. I mean. As a society, (Sniggers) not that I could actually call myself part of it, but......

It's......Coz, Like. We don't do anything unless it's of benefit to us. Ay? Those people only gave me money because they thought they were going to get something out of it. Only reason. I'm not stupid. They're not stupid. And one of them did. Gave me thirty p one day. Came back couple of days later, said he won some money on the lottery. Don't know how much. Didn't ask. Didn't wanna be rude. But must have been quite a bit, as he gives me fifty notes this time. Now I feel less guilty for taking their money. Actually, I kinda felt happy, happy that it may have been me, you know, I may have actually helped him to.....In some weird cosmic way. (Beat, laughs) Don't worry, I'm not, I don't actually believe in.......But, felt like I was able to offer them something in return. That I wasn't just taking hand outs. Feeling completely powerless. Like some poor unfortunate.......

And anyway, I tell this bloke this story, the one from the council, and I see it in his eyes, his face, he's thinking. He's reconsidering the whole thing, only for a split second, but I can see it. Probably thinks now he's going to get some bad Karma. Something bad's going to happen to him for delivering this letter to me. But obviously he moves me along, he has to. But now I can see that he's feeling guilty, a bit ashamed. He wasn’t before, before he was all high and mighty in his shimmering shoes, but now, now I can see he feels bad. But not for me. No. For himself. And suddenly, his shiny shoes don't seem that bright any more, even to me. (Beat) That's people for ya. Selfish. That's what you call greed. Real greed. (Beat) I mean. Essentially they're telling me where I can breath oxygen. Where I can exist. Eat. Sleep. (Beat) That seems to be nowhere right now. (Beat) Is it greedy to take and give nothing in return? (Beat) Or, is greed giving and expecting something in return? (Beat) Don't know. (Beat) All I know is, it's f*****g cold. (Beat) And I hate Greggs. But you know what they say about........Can't be choosy now, can we?

Reviews

[Barbara Walker]

So much wisdom in this piece of work. Would love to hear that it was published in a magazine with high numbers of circulation. In the U.S. the homeless are looked down upon as second class citizens, if they are even considered human, at all. I experienced homelessness for one and one-half years in my life and the way in which one is looked down upon by the "homeful",(if they look at you, at all) will cause one to feel more depressed and useless than one is already feeling. In their self-righteous smugness, they have no clue as to how easily it could happen to them. I will never forget how I felt during that time and how one can be in the world with millions of people and be so utterly alone. I so appreciate your words.

[Ddraper]

Thank you very much for your kind words, it is much appreciated. I live in London where the homeless population and crisis is staggering, I too myself have come close to living on the streets and believe we as a society need to stop literally stepping over this issue. I am looking for monologue competitions to submit this piece to.

[matrixmark]

What a great piece you have written here from a First person POV. I absolutely raced through this homeless mans piece at a rapid pace. Not because I wanted to get it over and done with, but because it flowed so well and I was impressed by how well your grammar skills are.

I really don't know what else to say except for - EXCELLENT WORK.

Mark.