Waiting for Godot — By Samuel Beckett
Two men stand beside a road.
A tree stands nearby.
Nothing else is certain.
No destination.
No clear sign.
Only waiting.
They do not know exactly whom they are waiting for.
They do not know why they wait.
Yet waiting gives shape to the day.
They argue about whether this is the right place.
They wonder whether this is the right day.
No conclusion arrives.
So they talk.
They joke.
They quarrel.
They insult one another, then reconcile.
They forget what they just said.
They repeat the same questions.
Silence comes.
Silence becomes uncomfortable.
So speech returns.
They speak of leaving.
“Shall we go?” one asks.
They do not move.
They imagine departure.
They plan what they would do if they left.
But they remain where they are.
They wait.
Someone passes through their world.
Strange words.
Uneven power.
Confusion mixed with fascination.
Then the road becomes empty again.
And waiting resumes.
They speak of the past.
They are not sure it happened.
Memory slips away even while speaking.
They speak of the future.
The future remains unclear.
The word “tomorrow” returns again and again.
No decision arrives.
They wait.
They say waiting is necessary.
They say Godot will explain everything.
They say Godot will tell them what to do.
But they cannot say who Godot is.
They cannot say why they trust him.
They cannot say what will happen if he arrives.
Still, they wait.
They grow tired.
They think about sleeping.
They fear missing his arrival.
They discuss ending their lives.
The idea is considered seriously.
But nothing comes of it.
Waiting continues.
A boy arrives with a message:
Godot will not come today.
Surely tomorrow.
They question him.
They search for certainty.
He does not know.
Night begins to fall.
The tree stands bare.
The road remains empty.
Light fades slowly.
They wait.
They say they will leave tomorrow.
They say everything will change tomorrow.
For a moment, they believe it.
“Shall we go?” one asks.
They do not move.
Tomorrow comes.
Tomorrow passes.
Tomorrow resembles today.
They will meet again.
They will speak again.
They will wait again.
They will say, “Shall we go?”
And they will not go.