A rich and privileged man

A rich and privileged man

Once said

Out loud

From a stage

Before thousands of adoring souls

As he kept time with his leather

Bound foot

“With every clap of my hands

Somebody dies in Africa”

Of course, he should just stop clapping

But it is a misquote

Apparently,

So beloved of comedians and tweeters

Bloggers, party fools and people eaters

Everywhere

It was once said as part of a campaign

To raise funds and awareness,

Shame on you

There was no peer review

Never let the truth

Get in the way of a good story

I can just hear him saying it

Though

Can you?

Perhaps we just want to believe.

Excessive hubris is a leveller

It is better to be the man who says yes

Than to be Dick Rowe

The man who said no

To the Fab Four

Even though he said yes to The Stones.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing

To those who survive it

If I have to tell you not just once

But twice

There will be hell to pay.

Accept the consequence

Of your actions

Let the Devil take the hindmost

And kick out the jams

Brothers and sisters.