I finished off the census.
Questions like what’s your name.
With a claim of anonymity.
I had to hang my head in shame.
I guess I’m at that age now.
Where I believe no claim at all.
And I’ve resigned myself to destiny.
To watch society at the fall.
It would be like such an honor.
If it weren’t so dumb and lame.
It’s like Nero and the Christians.
Without the hero or the fame.
Dennis Mantin 
This is sharp, reflective, and quietly biting. I love how you blend irony with resignation—the tension between anonymity and exposure, belief and disillusionment, feels very contemporary. The closing image is especially striking, invoking history to underscore the absurdity and tragedy of the present moment. It’s a thoughtful piece that captures a weary clarity without slipping into melodrama.
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