.

The enemy has canceled me
And yet, as far as I can see,
I still exist, I am still here
And so resist and have no fear.

Theirs is a vile, historic curse,
But this time, friends, it will be worse.
There’s nothing new in what they say,
The vicious Brown Shirts of our day.

The threat is real, it does advance
And must be stopped while there’s a chance.
We know where all of this will end—
A patriot cannot pretend.

Their re-set we dare not allow—
The place is here, the time is now.

.

.

Joe Tessitore is a retired New York City resident and poet.


NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets.

The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.


CODEC Stories:

15 Responses

  1. Ryan Watch

    This is quite a profound poem Mr. Tessitore! The context of the lines almost remind me of the horrors of the French revolution and the Reign of Terror.

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth Valerie Wyler

    By the way, Joe, your poem offends me! (I’m not sure why … exactly … but boosting one’s sense of moral superiority by becoming “offended” is currently fashionable … amongst lemmings!)

    These “spot on” sentiments have beautiful rhyme & meter. I enjoyed reading your timely poem. The funniest thing to witness is the champion “cancellers” cancelling one another.

    Reply
  3. TONIA KALOURIA

    Beautifully written and Right on!
    Now if they would only cancel the Great Reset, CRT, etc.

    Reply
  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Joe, the place is definitely here and the time is definitely now. Your poetic voice of resistance sings loud and clear and I’m singing along with you. I think many are learning the words to our anthem and singing along with us… let’s hope it makes a difference.

    Reply
  5. Sue Caiazzo

    Joe, excellent Poem. So true and unfortunately so now. You always make a statement and it is always good

    Reply
  6. Margaret Coats

    Belligerent and powerful in a light, attractive rhythm with a smooth flow of words and thoughts. The poem conveys an urgent message in a way that is easy to read and remember!

    Reply
  7. C.B. Anderson

    Thumbs up, Joe, for reasons I don’t care to articulate (though others have already articulated them), but I think we see eye-to-eye most of the time. Right now, you are the voice crying out from the witch’s cauldron of NYC. More power to you. Never back down. Keep the faith.

    Reply
    • Patricia Redfern

      Need more like you….fantastic write!
      I get smacked plenty for standing up.
      We best stand up!
      Loved it!

      Reply
  8. Cheryl Corey

    So simple and yet so memorable – and the last line says it all. I couldn’t help but think of the expression “the barbarians are at the gate”.

    Reply
  9. David Whippman

    A well-written rallying cry against the “wokeism” etc which is closing down debate both in Europe and the USA.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Peg Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Captcha loading...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.