The Calendar Is Aspirational

Lyrics

[Act I - Solo recitative]
[TENOR]
The calendar said ten: Garden Walk in the sun,
At two: jazz social, a civilized one.
I arrived with my mother, ninety years young,
With her blue cardigan and her birthday song.

The activity board glittered: "TODAY!"
But the arrow was crooked and pointed away.
The garden was locked. The jazz was a print.
At ten-oh-three, a new notice was pinned:

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR, spoken]
The schedule is aspirational.

[TENOR]
Aspirational? It said "Garden Walk."

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR]
We are exploring the possibility of walking.

[TENOR]
My mother had shoes. We had weather. We had time.
You turned a straight line into pantomime.

[SOPRANO MOTHER]
Is there a place for the birthday cake?

[TENOR]
There was a room with a hand-written sign:
"Mindful Napkin Folding, eleven forty-five."

[Act II - Patter and rising ensemble]
[TENOR]
I asked for the garden. She offered a chair.
I asked for the jazz. She pointed at air.
I asked why the calendar changed overnight.
She said, "The program is fluid," with a smile too bright.

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR]
Please respect the rhythm of our community.

[TENOR]
The rhythm? At noon the rhythm was glue!
A paper sunflower cost six dollars and two.
My mother had folded it, careful and slow,
Then someone misplaced it below.

[SOPRANO MOTHER]
I put my flower beside the tea.

[TENOR]
The tea was decaf and billed separately!

[CHOIR, softly]
Program, program, program of the day,
If it is printed, it may drift away.

[TENOR]
At two, the jazz social became silent reading.
At three, "chair yoga" became staff meeting.
At four, I found on the bulletin-board wall:
"Family complaints are activities for fall."

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR]
We cannot promise a specific activity.

[TENOR]
Then why is it printed in twelve-point type?
Why is Tuesday in blue? Why is Wednesday in white?
Why does every box wear a little gold star
If the event lives only where the intentions are?

[SOPRANO MOTHER]
Could we just sing "Happy Birthday"?

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR]
That would require a room reservation.

[TENOR]
A room reservation! For one little tune!
You put a birthday behind a full moon!

[CHOIR, building]
THE CALENDAR IS ASPIRATIONAL!
THE GARDEN IS TEMPORARY!
THE JAZZ IS CONCEPTUAL!
THE NAPKINS ARE EXTRAORDINARY!

[Act III - Full ensemble finale]
[TENOR]
Bring out the calendar! Bring out the pen!
Write down the thing, then erase it again!
Write "Bingo at three," write "Choir at four,"
Write "Do not expect what the words are for!"

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR]
The calendar is a living document.

[TENOR]
It is living? It has outlived every plan!
It has more amendments than my mother has hands!

[SOPRANO MOTHER]
I still have my flower.

[TENOR]
You found it? Where?

[SOPRANO MOTHER]
In the lost-and-found, with the left-out chair.

[CHOIR, fortissimo]
THE CALENDAR IS ASPIRATIONAL!
IT PROMISES THE MOON!
GARDEN WALK AT TEN-OH-OH!
CANCELLED AT TEN-OH-TWO!
JAZZ AT TWO! SILENCE AT THREE!
SIX-DOLLAR PAPER SUNFLOWER FEE!

[MEZZO-SOPRANO ACTIVITY DIRECTOR]
We are sorry you feel disappointed.

[TENOR]
I am not disappointed! I am impressed!
You made a birthday into a clerical stress!

[ENSEMBLE]
The cake was waiting, the doors were locked,
The printed little schedule talked and talked!
A room for the singing, a form for the air,
A promise with asterisk, nobody there!

[TENOR AND CHOIR]
We came for the garden!

[CHOIR]
The garden was closed!

[TENOR]
We came for the jazz!

[CHOIR]
The jazz was composed!

[TENOR]
We asked for one song!

[CHOIR]
Reservation denied!

[ALL, fortissimo]
THE CALENDAR IS ASPIRATIONAL!
ONE STAR FOR THE DAY!
ONE STAR FOR THE FLOWER!
ONE STAR FOR THE "MAYBE!"
MOTHER TURNED NINETY, THE CAKE TURNED DRY,
THE ACTIVITIES CHANGED AS THE HOURS WENT BY!
THE CALENDAR IS ASPIRATIONAL!
THE CALENDAR IS A LIE!

[Final whispered TENOR]
Tomorrow: unscheduled breathing.