"Let's do a march for no reason,"
muttered Stevie in one of his drunken
epiphanies. "A what?" retorted Louis
looking bewildered. "A march for no
reason, it's never been done. If we don't
make it as musicians we'll never be
remembered," said Stevie enthusiastically.
Stevie had always been obsessed with fame.
Blighted by anxiety and a booze addiction
however, his dreams of becoming a rock
star were unfulfilled. The march for no
reason was an opportunity for him to leave
his mark as the founder of the world's first
march for no reason - "it's genius," said Louis.
The town's statue was the appointed location
for the march and posters were printed off
to promote the event. Louis girlfriend Sarah
looked pensive - "Louis I'm worried. What if
the march is sabotaged by anarchists?
It may turn violent, we could be arrested for
orchestrating an illegal gathering, can't you
cancel it?" "I'm worried too," said Louis,
"but we've come too far to turn back now.
This is Stevie's last chance to leave a
significant legacy. He'll never make it in
music industry now."
On September 4th 1993, Stevie, Louis
and Sarah made their way to the statue,
anticipating hundreds in attendance but
the turn out was just forty two. The police
arrived in large numbers and the senior
officer approached Louis as he was
positioned at the front of the group.
"What's all this about then?" asked the
officer sternly. "It's not about anything,"
replied Louis - Sarah giggled. "Well you
need permission for an organised protest,"
said the officer.
On cue as planned, Stevie stood up and
yelled "come on marchers, let's go to
the park!" Stevie's cunning plan had
been executed to perfection. He'd foreseen
that should the police enforce a crowd
dispersal, it would subsequently prompt
a unified movement of the marchers that
would naturally walk away in the same
direction. The proposed destination for
the march was predetermined too, and
Stevie knew the police would have to
follow them, giving the protest the desired
credibility. A lengthy line of officers had
cordoned off the gates at the park entrance.
As Stevie was leader he felt his duty was
to climb the gates in a show of defiance,
but was apprehended. The marchers burst
into their adopted anthem song for the day -
"all we are saying, is nothing at all!"
Louis pulled Stevie back from the skirmishes -
"Stevie get back you're drunk, you'll get
arrested. Photographs have been taken,
we've got proof, you've made history!"
The March for No Reason
Stephen Philip Druce is a poet from Shrewsbury in the UK. He is published in the UK, the USA, Hungary, Ireland, India, Canada and South Africa. Stephen has also written for London theater plays and BBC Radio 4 Extra. Contact him on Instagram - @StephenPhilipDruce