Stanley Kowalski Speaks the Gospel Truth


mn :: poetry

Taken directly from the text of A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams

I used to have a cousin who could open a beer bottle with his teeth.

That was his only accomplishment, all he could do--he was just a

human bottle opener. And then one time, at a wedding party,

he broke his front teeth off! After that he was so ashamed of himself

he used t' sneak out of the house when company came...

When we first met, me and you, you thought I was common.

How right you was, baby. I was common as dirt. You showed me

the snapshot of the place with the columns. I pulled you down

off them columns and how you loved it, having them colored lights going!

And wasn't we happy together, wasn't it all okay till she showed here?

Hoity-toity, describing me as an ape. What I am is a one hundred percent

American, born and raised in the greatest country on earth and

proud as hell of it, so don't ever call me a Polack. What do you two

think you are? A pair of queens? Remember what Huey Long said--

"Every Man is a King!" And I am the king around here, so don't forget it!

Let me enlighten you on a point or two, baby. In the state of Louisiana

we have the Napoleonic code according to which what belongs to the wife

belongs to the husband and vice versa--a man has to take an interest

in his wife's affairs especially now that she's going to have a baby.

You know what luck is? Luck is believing you're lucky.

To hold front position in this rat-race you've got to believe you are lucky.

Stella, it's gonna be all right after she goes and after you've had the baby.

It's gonna be all right again between you and me the way that it was.

You remember that way that it was? Them nights we had together?

God, honey, it's gonna be sweet when we can make noise in the night

the way that we used to and get the colored lights going

with nobody's sister behind the curtains to hear us!

Last modified: Oct 24, 2008 2:28 pm. Contact me.