                   Incident Along Fantasy Way 
                           Idea Crisis

Things are quiet tonight --
Too quiet.
There is a severe inspiration shortage.

Downtown is silent and dark,
With rolls of sidewalk stacked in the parking lots.
Store windows are empty
And none of the signs say anything.
I try making noise
But the echoes are only echoes.

Two people are conversing on a street corner:
     "Hey, what's happenin', man?"
     "Nothin'.  What's happenin' with you?"
     "Nothin'.  What's happenin' with you?"
     "Nothin'."
Back and forth endlessly.

Most of the newsracks on the next corner are empty.
A couple have blank papers
And one headlines "NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS"
Over a full-page picture
Of a Smile Face.

My favorite DJ is on the radio
Announcing that his station will be playing elevator music
Until further notice.

Finally I conjure up a press card
And inquire at a police station.
The desk sergeant looks up from his crossword puzzle
And says that the last several days have passed
"Without incident."

So it looks like I have nothing to write about
This time.

                                   Thomas G. Digby
                                   written 2315 hr  8/16/74
                                   entered 1645 hr  2/27/92
