Clap hands, or ??

  I

School days returning soon, time to get the kids attention, clap hands

A school chore once upon a time was to clean chalk erasers, clap hands

Masked agents stop vehicles, and pedestrians, on our city streets, 

a question or two can lead to bound wrists, and they are unable to clap hands

When the music performance was astounding, it moved you so,

You stood to join the rest of the gathered audience to clap hands

Congress is supposed to play a role in the balance of governmental power

Yet they aren't taking action against mostly illegal executive orders, clap hands

Task to make a fruit bowl, combining cans of pears and peaches, with fresh 

blueberries, kiwi, strawberries, & mango. Kitchen dance ends with clap hands

Occasional protests against these changes, extreme challenges to the law 

of the land, don't seem to be enough, do we need to do more than clap hands

  II

Biennial local election draws neighbors to take out nomination papers

And gather signatures, a good civic action so we applaud with clap hands

Military are supposed to defend us from foreign enemies, local police meant to

Keep local law and order; with military deployed to cities, we need more than clap hands 

Administration attacks on funded programs and services, with staggered implementation 

Dates to avoid scrutiny around doublespeak, raises the need to respond with more than clap hands

What is fair and equitable is being distorted by the almighty dollar, absolute power

Corrupts absolutely, so we need to respond with more than clap hands

Those few with billions are buying their way around, gaining access previously 

Inconceivable, what does the future hold for those without money; only clap hands?

How do we avoid the pain of a thousand cuts, do we stop at 10, or 50, or 500?

Immunity and freedom can return with civic action by more than clap hands

So Sherlock, instead of pissing into the wind, what actions do we consider

We need to do more than stand on the sidelines and clap hands

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Thanks to the spark provided by Beck in his performance of "Clap Hands" on Saturday Night Live (SNL) once upon a time. The SNL video of the performance can be seen here ->   https://www.instagram.com/ryansbrown/reel/DNm6hP6OrXw/

The wind howl

 I

Maybe the weather is trying to us something, listen to the wind howl

I chose this soft chair tonight so I can read and listen to the wind howl

If there are no ideas but in things, then what do we call how we govern 

ourselves? Must we adhere to rules listening to the wind howl

If the idea is not a universal one, we are all lost in our own way, and then no 

one pays attention listening to the wind howl

If your green is not my green, what is green? Is there even a green? How would 

we know if we can only listen to the wind howl

If my green is grass growing, bending in the breeze, and your green are 

dollars in a digital ledger, they won't be listening to the wind howl

If there are no ideas but in things, and we are all on our own, will there 

be a thing, or a time, for all of us to listen to the wind howl?

  II

What might the weather be trying to tell us? 2024 set so many records 

for extreme weather, and even now, we listen to the wind howl

The clown who would be king took us out of the Paris Accord, again, 

shouldn't we have learned that lesson, listen to the wind howl

The clown’s cronies are running amuck with the way things should be, 

will there be anything left? listen to the wind howl

The muzzle velocity of news, executive orders, coming from the clown and his 

cronies is staggering by design, listen to the wind howl

After the scorched earth, there is hope nature will return, it does takes time, 

it won't be easy, just listen to the wind howl

Water finds the low points to make its way, gravity isn't ruled by executive 

order, there can be goodness listening to the wind howl

So Sherlock, now what? Hunk down, keep the faith, mind the flywheel, 

spend time learning and listening to the wind howl