(“We don’t need no steenking tasers!“)

the once friendly streets of our town

on this cool clear summer night

have now become a bit edgy

there’s an electricity in the air

as though to walk a little faster

or a little slower would create

some situation out of control

a dreaded glitch in a new order

that’s taken hold and makes us

all feel less than we were before

makes us want to hurry home

yet know we must not hurry

lest we trip some ghostly false alarm

in the darkness with our heartbeat

Peter Buknatski

Montpelier, Vt.