Soviet propaganda poster‘Anti-Racist Cant’ by Julian Woodruff The Society June 13, 2021 Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry 18 Comments . False statements spurn. Let’s shut them out completely. Quash so–called free speech. Cancel all you can. Do people think deplorables sing sweetly Or weren’t all guilty since the world began? If vile, white racist attitudes prevail In any form, for any length of time, They’ll just delay the hour that we can hail Together equity’s triumphant climb. See how suppression, cunningly applied, Of all opinions counter to our own, Creates a fertile field where far and wide Our righteous propaganda can be sown. Its potent words, from all lips, will unite Us to one will: the racist must take flight. . . Julian D. Woodruff was a teacher, orchestral musician, and librarian. He served for several years as librarian at the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA. He now resides in the area of Rochester, NY, where he writes poetry and fiction, much of it for children. His work has appeared in Frostfire Worlds and on the websites of Carmina, Parody Poetry, and Reedsy. His GPS poem placed tenth in the last riddle contest of the Society of Classical Poets. 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. Trending now: 18 Responses Gerry Poster June 13, 2021 This is delightful; it’s well-considered and -crafted, with just enough irony to give bite without being blatant. This is the first of your works that I’ve read and makes me want to seek out more. Well done! Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 Thank you, Gerry. There are a number of my poems posted on this site. I also frequently comment, often in verse, on the work of others posted here. Reply Mike Bryant June 13, 2021 Julian, a perfect sonnet… it sounds like an antifa anthem. Of course it’s anathema to all us adorable deplorables. Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 Glad you like it, Mike. I mustn’t take credit for all its properties. See my reply, below, to Ms Cook. Reply Sally Cook June 13, 2021 Excellent poem. Yes, the poor old deplorables (of which I am one) are up for another bashing, if the anti-deplorabalistic folk ever see this.! Since the antis have no sarcastic or ironic sense to speak of, they might, as someone suggested and I initially thought, want to use it as an anthem. Please — don’t let them ! Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 Ms Cook, I’d bet that some of the properties you admire are another’s responsibility. As submitted, the poem’s title had an extension, “DWM-Style.” The poem itself is pretty closely modeled on Shakespeare Sonnet no. 8. (I’d call it a parody, in fact, though one different in spirit from most of mine you’ve seen.) Reply Joseph S. Salemi June 13, 2021 The ironic thing is that “anti-racism” of the kind being satirized in this sonnet is now emerging from its chrysalis state to become full-blown anti-white racism, openly expressed in murderous language by politicians, entertainment-world celebrities, and many academics. Of course, the standard excuse offered for this is that only those of European descent are capable of being racists. All other skin-colors are ipso facto non-racist. Another Orwellian left-liberal lie that our Mainstream Media pushes. Reply Jeff Kemper June 13, 2021 Joseph, I beg to differ a bit. I believe it has been full-blown racism for quite a long time already. Was there ever a larval or pupal state that wasn’t inherently racist? And the old saw that racism can only come from those in power is child’s thinking, but sadly there are lots of childish-thinking adults who scarf up that nonsense. Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 A good point. The next stage in the evolution of the white racist narrative may be (and I beg your pardon if this notion has already emerged) that in having children, not only are whites increasing their carbon footprint, but they’re showing their innate racism by increasing the numbers of racists in our midst. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant June 13, 2021 Julian, this poem says it like it is in a well-crafted sonnet that should open everyone’s eyes to the insidious ‘Anti-Racist Cant’ (great title). I particularly like the lines: See how suppression, cunningly applied, Of all opinions counter to our own, Creates a fertile field where far and wide Our righteous propaganda can be sown. This insightful observation is a perfect lesson for those who are baffled by the banality of the word on the street today. Thank you for producing a timely, much-needed poem that doesn’t pull any punches! Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 14, 2021 Thank you, Susan. If I remember, “our righteous propaganda” took me a while to come up with. On the whole, this was a tough one for me. Reply Margaret Coats June 13, 2021 Very nicely structured, Julian. Susan above admires the quatrain following the turn in line 9, but you have given us a second turn flowing into the couplet. There the speaker looks forward to real success in hearing his propaganda from all lips. This shows that he has succeeded not only in shouting down opponents, but in occupying their minds so thoroughly that they call on him to put racists to flight. Exactly what a speech-suppressing tyrant dreams of! Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 14, 2021 Right, Margaret. I don’t feel courageous venting like this, but 10 years (or less?) down the line, or if I weren’t so ancient, I well might. Reply Daniel Kemper June 14, 2021 I’m the father of bi-racial children, so I have more at stake than most. The upside-down Bizarro world of BLM and monopoly media is alternately provocative and depressing. To see one-party dominated cities in which the life of minorities is maybe the worst ever and getting worse, and hear that party champion themselves as the solution, and then blame the other party, founded on anti-slavery… I almost can’t take it. To be sure, there are pockets of racism, but that’s not their point at all really. Marxists run with one excuse as long as they can, so long as it is destructive, anti-white racism has proven pretty effective for them so far, but they’ll pivot to some other fake outrage soon. Sorry to “soap-box” on your post. I enjoyed the read for it’s irony and brave handling of sensitive subject matter. Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 15, 2021 Thanks for your comment, Mr. Kemper. I don’t feel that I’ve been too bold here (with this readership, anyway). But I do often enough fail to restrain myself, and perhaps you’ll see cases in point sooner or later, if you haven’t already. But now is a time when the effects of restraint must be gauged as shrewdly as can be. Reply Brian Yapko June 14, 2021 Great poem, Julian. Unfortunately, way too accurate! You really capture the irony of profoundly destructive people who think that they have all the answers. They truly seem to believe everything they think. Thanks for a great, thought-provoking read! Reply Julian D. Woodruff June 15, 2021 Thank you, Brian. It’s humbling to read comments like yours coming from people who consider both current political conditions and writings about them more seriously than I typically do. Reply Benjamen Grinberg June 18, 2021 crt: https://youtu.be/S7w0UEQs5Pc https://youtu.be/yZ1weBkspYE Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Gerry Poster June 13, 2021 This is delightful; it’s well-considered and -crafted, with just enough irony to give bite without being blatant. This is the first of your works that I’ve read and makes me want to seek out more. Well done! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 Thank you, Gerry. There are a number of my poems posted on this site. I also frequently comment, often in verse, on the work of others posted here. Reply
Mike Bryant June 13, 2021 Julian, a perfect sonnet… it sounds like an antifa anthem. Of course it’s anathema to all us adorable deplorables. Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 Glad you like it, Mike. I mustn’t take credit for all its properties. See my reply, below, to Ms Cook. Reply
Sally Cook June 13, 2021 Excellent poem. Yes, the poor old deplorables (of which I am one) are up for another bashing, if the anti-deplorabalistic folk ever see this.! Since the antis have no sarcastic or ironic sense to speak of, they might, as someone suggested and I initially thought, want to use it as an anthem. Please — don’t let them ! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 Ms Cook, I’d bet that some of the properties you admire are another’s responsibility. As submitted, the poem’s title had an extension, “DWM-Style.” The poem itself is pretty closely modeled on Shakespeare Sonnet no. 8. (I’d call it a parody, in fact, though one different in spirit from most of mine you’ve seen.) Reply
Joseph S. Salemi June 13, 2021 The ironic thing is that “anti-racism” of the kind being satirized in this sonnet is now emerging from its chrysalis state to become full-blown anti-white racism, openly expressed in murderous language by politicians, entertainment-world celebrities, and many academics. Of course, the standard excuse offered for this is that only those of European descent are capable of being racists. All other skin-colors are ipso facto non-racist. Another Orwellian left-liberal lie that our Mainstream Media pushes. Reply
Jeff Kemper June 13, 2021 Joseph, I beg to differ a bit. I believe it has been full-blown racism for quite a long time already. Was there ever a larval or pupal state that wasn’t inherently racist? And the old saw that racism can only come from those in power is child’s thinking, but sadly there are lots of childish-thinking adults who scarf up that nonsense. Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 13, 2021 A good point. The next stage in the evolution of the white racist narrative may be (and I beg your pardon if this notion has already emerged) that in having children, not only are whites increasing their carbon footprint, but they’re showing their innate racism by increasing the numbers of racists in our midst. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant June 13, 2021 Julian, this poem says it like it is in a well-crafted sonnet that should open everyone’s eyes to the insidious ‘Anti-Racist Cant’ (great title). I particularly like the lines: See how suppression, cunningly applied, Of all opinions counter to our own, Creates a fertile field where far and wide Our righteous propaganda can be sown. This insightful observation is a perfect lesson for those who are baffled by the banality of the word on the street today. Thank you for producing a timely, much-needed poem that doesn’t pull any punches! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 14, 2021 Thank you, Susan. If I remember, “our righteous propaganda” took me a while to come up with. On the whole, this was a tough one for me. Reply
Margaret Coats June 13, 2021 Very nicely structured, Julian. Susan above admires the quatrain following the turn in line 9, but you have given us a second turn flowing into the couplet. There the speaker looks forward to real success in hearing his propaganda from all lips. This shows that he has succeeded not only in shouting down opponents, but in occupying their minds so thoroughly that they call on him to put racists to flight. Exactly what a speech-suppressing tyrant dreams of! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 14, 2021 Right, Margaret. I don’t feel courageous venting like this, but 10 years (or less?) down the line, or if I weren’t so ancient, I well might. Reply
Daniel Kemper June 14, 2021 I’m the father of bi-racial children, so I have more at stake than most. The upside-down Bizarro world of BLM and monopoly media is alternately provocative and depressing. To see one-party dominated cities in which the life of minorities is maybe the worst ever and getting worse, and hear that party champion themselves as the solution, and then blame the other party, founded on anti-slavery… I almost can’t take it. To be sure, there are pockets of racism, but that’s not their point at all really. Marxists run with one excuse as long as they can, so long as it is destructive, anti-white racism has proven pretty effective for them so far, but they’ll pivot to some other fake outrage soon. Sorry to “soap-box” on your post. I enjoyed the read for it’s irony and brave handling of sensitive subject matter. Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 15, 2021 Thanks for your comment, Mr. Kemper. I don’t feel that I’ve been too bold here (with this readership, anyway). But I do often enough fail to restrain myself, and perhaps you’ll see cases in point sooner or later, if you haven’t already. But now is a time when the effects of restraint must be gauged as shrewdly as can be. Reply
Brian Yapko June 14, 2021 Great poem, Julian. Unfortunately, way too accurate! You really capture the irony of profoundly destructive people who think that they have all the answers. They truly seem to believe everything they think. Thanks for a great, thought-provoking read! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff June 15, 2021 Thank you, Brian. It’s humbling to read comments like yours coming from people who consider both current political conditions and writings about them more seriously than I typically do. Reply
