"Waterloo"

This song, printed by request, was written for the New York Artist's Collective's production of Iowa 08, presented last summer at The Vineyard Theatre. It was premiered by a great singing actress, Jessica Carter.



(Lights up. WAITRESS in mid-order:)


"Toast with your eggs missus?

White, rye or wheat.

No, fresh outta raisin,

but we got jam for sweet.

Wheat then.

Just be a minute or so, so

back in a flash.

Can I top off your Joe?


(Lights dim, isolating WAITRESS. SHE is in her head.)


Morning shift out on US 63.

Shabby, but hell,

got nowhere else to be.

'tatoes or hash with that?

Bacon or steak?

Not many choices a girl can make

in Waterloo.


Evening shift,

regulars makin' demands.

Married men gettin' too

smart with the hands.

Someday, I swear, I will

pack up the car,

toss out the map and drive

someplace that's far

from Waterloo.


Midnight shift's bad,

way too much space to think.

A trucker or two and a

pan in the sink.

Girl has time to dream where she might go.

Indianapolis.

Far east as Buffalo.

I could break out,

give some new place a try.

Jesus, you put me here,

Jesus knows why,

but sweet Jesus promise you

won't let me die

in Waterloo.

Let me fly

from Waterloo.

Say goodbye to ---


(Lights back up. A voice has snapped her back into reality.)


Say again?

God ma'am, I'm sorry,

you said?

Right! I just went somewhere

else in my head.

Sure ma'am, your order.

Hey - this one's on me.

Back in a flash.

I got places

to be."