salient (adj.) - 1. projecting or jutting beyond a line or surface 2. strikingly conspicuous

A MAN'S HEAD sticks out of the ground, his body obviously buried beneath. PEOPLE, oblivious to his existence, walk by in a steady stream, on their way to work and whatnot. The MAN'S HEAD calls up to them.

MAN'S HEAD

Hey! Hey!! Look down here damnit! Hey! I'm down here! What are you people, blind?! Hey!!! Would somebody help me?? [to someone passing by in particular] Hey! You! Would you--hey, come back here! Would you--[the person is gone]--would somebody call the police, or the fire department, or, I don't know, some construction workers or scientists or somebody--anybody! HEY! What are you people deaf?? [one of the walking people stumbles over him] HEY, WATCH IT! Watch where you're going buddy!

PERSON WHO KICKED HIM

[keeps walking]

Sorry.

MAN'S HEAD

What are you, some kind of moron!

PERSON WHO KICKED HIM

[continuing off-stage]

Bite me!

MAN'S HEAD

HEY, YOU COME BACK HERE AND TRY SAYING THAT TO ME! I'LL KICK THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!

PERSON WHO KICKED HIM

[off-stage by now; calling back]

Sure you will.

MAN'S HEAD

You just watch! [to the next person walking by] Hey! Hey you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! Get back here! What's wrong with you people, huh?! Don't you have any common decency!! Don't you have any empathy for your common man!!!

PASSERBY

[to the head]

Get a job, ya' bum!

MAN'S HEAD

Hey! Hey!! You come back here and say that to my face! [generally] All of you! You think you're all so great just because you've got hands and legs and feet and bodies and jobs and families and pets and cars and TVs and all that other stuff, but you don't! I mean, you're not! You're not great!! You're the bums!!! YOU'RE THE BUMS!

SOMEONE ELSE trips over him, almost falling.

SOMEONE ELSE

Watch it!

MAN'S HEAD

You watch it! You all watch it!

ANOTHER PERSON

Shut up!

MAN'S HEAD

No, you shut up!

YET ANOTHER PERSON

[stopping and speaking directly to the Man's Head]

You know, other people have problems too!

AND ANOTHER

[also stopping, as each person now does...]

You're not the only one!

AND ANOTHER

Just look at the economy.

AND ANOTHER

Yeah, people are losing their jobs.

AND ANOTHER

I'm not going to be able to retire.

ANOTHER

My daugher can't get a loan for college.

ANOTHER

My son is in the millitary.

ANOTHER

There's a war in Iraq.

ANOTHER

And Afghanistan.

ANOTHER

What about the people there?

ANOTHER

And in Africa?

ANOTHER

And India?

ANOTHER

And China?

ANOTHER

Yeah, China!

ANOTHER

Yeah!

ANOTHER

Yeah!

EVERYONE GATHERED AROUND

Yeah!

Pause.

MAN'S HEAD

Well, when you put it that way. I guess...You're right. I guess I don't have it that bad. Thanks.

The PEOPLE begin walking again, moving about their business. The MAN'S HEAD looks thoughtful. A WOMAN walking by, kicks him in the back of the head, accidentally.

WOMAN

[stopping; apologetic]

I'm so sorry.

MAN'S HEAD

No problem.

She smiles at him. He smiles back. Blackout.