We went to lunch on Friday at the Tip Top restaurant.
And there we saw an image that forevermore will haunt.
A man in line in front of us had an “SS” tattoo.
A stunning, chilling, nauseating image to a Jew.

The “SS man” was neither big nor muscular nor young.
Should we have made a comment? We did not and held our tongue.
He briefly turned to look at us; his forehead tattoo read:
“Das dritte Reich,” which means “Third Reich,” the Nazi state, now dead.

And what did this “SS man” have for lunch? He had two beers.
Might we draw some conclusion that would stoke or quell our fears?
For now, he is a racist bigot, fueled by alcohol.
But which came first, the Nazism or the ethanol?

Free speech has toxic side effects. This man’s tattoos, of course,
Are symbols of the Nazis which still strike with stunning force.
It’s White Christian supremacy, (so Jesus wouldn’t count.)
We hope and pray democracy will hold them to account.

A man who idolizes murderers of folks like me,
Was standing right in front of us; we let his kind roam free.
And now, one home-grown Neo-Nazi wants control again,
A man whom every ethicist is viewing with chagrin.

The Nazis and the SS were both losers once before.
This tattooed schlump who celebrates them, fights a long-lost war.
Stupidity and hate, to our disgrace, still have appeal,
The toxic side effects of free speech, sadly all too real.

(Now a confession:) we just bought a Tesla, Model S.
And then, one hour later, were confronted by “SS.”
Was Ha Shem, speaking from On High, reminding these two Jews
Of Tesla’s owner, Elon Musk’s antisemitic views?