Part II: Today we grieve, tomorrow we fight ... It is tomorrow

rock-scissors-paper image thanks to wikipedia

I woke with the image behind my eyes of the small kid time game -- jan ken po-- a game Pete and I played just the other morning when we were choosing whether to head north or south for a spontaneous day trip. 

"Let's play three times, for the win," I directed. It's that oldest child role I play in action. "I win we head south. You win we go north."

We played jan-ken-po  our style with no chanting just the simple hand signs of the game. I won two or three outta the three, and we headed south for the ferry. It was one of those Safety Pin Cafe sorta morning, a morning and a day a duck could love. Wet and raining. A Saturday. What I did not remember and Pete remembered when we found ourselves in a ferry backup (not usual for this time of year) was the other ferry on the island was out of commission for the weekend while a new dock was being installed. 

Change of plan. We dickered a little about whether the investment of time (both ways) made sense, and agreed it wasn't. Pete did a U-turn and we turned the result of the simple game for choosing on its head. We headed north, and had a very good time of it.

The reverberations from the American Election, 2016 are having their effect on us. 

"It's that guy thing, AGAIN!"

"Trump's not MY president!!"

"Woke up after election, mad, sad, crazed but not depressed ...Funny I thought only about fleeing that too might happen but for now action, empathy, support, and strength."

I am sticking with the oddly perfect outcome of our jan-ke-po game, and using that U-turn to gather strength to act as if I am the leader of the world, the country, the nation, I envision. So, the rich and greedy business man has tinkered with all the other men still afraid of the big bad vagina ... OMG, did she say the "V" word? Oh yeah. 

Turning child's play on its head I'm using these days after the badly played version of an election to create movement, maybe a movement, a SIMPLE & POWERFUL new version of the game of choice. 

Picture this:

In the background hear this:

On a monitor is the translation:

Kaulana nā pua aʻo Hawaiʻi Kūpaʻa ma hope o ka ʻāina Hiki mai ka ʻelele o ka loko ʻino Palapala ʻānunu me ka pākaha Pane mai Hawaiʻi moku o Keawe Kōkua nā Hono aʻo Piʻilani Kākoʻo mai Kauaʻi o Mano Paʻapū me ke one Kākuhihewa ʻAʻole aʻe kau i ka pūlima Ma luna o ka pepa o ka ʻēnemi Hoʻohui ʻāina kūʻai hewa I ka pono sivila aʻo ke kanaka ʻAʻole mākou aʻe minamina I ka puʻu kālā o ke aupuni Ua lawa mākou i ka pōhaku I ka ʻai kamahaʻo o ka āina Ma hope mākou o Liliʻulani A loaʻa ē ka pono o ka ʻāina *(A kau hou ʻia e ke kalaunu) Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana Ka poʻe i aloha i ka ʻāina *Alternate Stanza

Famous are the children of Hawai`i Ever loyal to the land When the evil-hearted messenger comes With his greedy document of extortion Hawaiʻi, land of Keawe answers Piʻilani's bays help Mano's Kauaʻi lends support And so do the sands of Kākuhihewa No one will fix a signature To the paper of the enemy With its sin of annexation And sale of native civil rights We do not value The government's sums of money We are satisfied with the stones Astonishing food of the land We back Liliʻulani Who has won the rights of the land *(She will be crowned again) Tell the story Of the people who love their land *Alternate Stanza

On stage children of all colors, parents of all ages, grandparents of all stages, people able and disabled, gender labeled in all flavors, fragrance freed and powered up:

Play the hand game, jan ken po ... rock paper scissors, but instead of the chant where rock breaks scissors, paper covers rock, scissors cuts paper

This hip hop version of the game interlaces the voices of resistance in Kaulana Na Pua:

Let me be your rock (rock breaks scissors) 

I got you covered (paper covers rock) 

Here, cut through that red tape (scissors cut paper)

Let me be your rock/I got you covered/Here, cut through that red tape

Let me be your rock/I got you covered/Here, cut through that red tape ... 

The stage fills with more and more children of all colors, parents of all ages, grandparents of all stages, people able and disabled, gender labeled in all flavors, fragrance freed all powered up.

Let me be your rock

I got you covered

Here, cut through that red tape

The game turns leadership onto its head: I am your rock, You got me covered. We can cut through that red tape. I'm suggesting a revolution starts by changing the rules of the game. Use the example of resistance at Standing Rock.bB a chant that reverberates right where you, and I stand now. Now. 

Let me be your rock. I got you covered. Here, cut through that red tape. 

I got you covered. How could I do that? How about this post. How about this post goes viral and community musicians put their instruments together and come up with some sound to go with this "Rock- Covered- Red- Tape." 

I don't know where this will lead

Don't pretend I've got all the answers

But oh my friend together ...

Let me be your rock

I got you covered

Here, cut through that red tape.

Can you see it?

Can you hear that?

Can you feel your heart?

Pump, pump, pumping ... Kaulana na pua ... Famous are the flowers ... Let me be your rock. I got you covered. Here, cut through that red tape. Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana Ka poʻe i aloha i ka ʻāina ... Tell the story Of the people who love their land.

Jan Ken Po

Let me be your rock

I got you covered

Here, cut through that red tape...

Let's do it!

Share this link. 

Spread it around. 

I don't know all the social media in's and out. But, you might know how to cut through that red tape.

Have any ideas, suggestions, venues?

Leave a comment, or contact me via email.