Anne Frank, Genocide, and Contranyms

In death, I weep when words decay,
like “genocide,” born in ’44,
now twisted, its truth led astray.
In The Hague, where Justice is sought,
Lemkin’s word, to falsehood, was brought.
The Nazis’ words, deceit, and denial,
masked their horrors with Hitler’s guile.
Nietzsche’s ideal of the “Übermensch”
strove to transcend classes and creeds.
Yet, under der Führer’s command,
the concept transmogrified—
to its opposite: a wicked chauvinist screed.
That is why, for my sister Margot,
for The Temple Mount,
I’ve an unbroken vow,
to use words with precision—
to expose sly mellifluous lies.
In the labyrinth of hollows, where words are stored,
are the Untermenschen, who sleep, yellow-starred,
dead, distorted, and bent, their souls still tarred.
Let’s reclaim their power, their meaning, their grace—
to ensure that Justice finds its rightful place.
You, South Africa, defiled the word “genocide”.
For this, you’ll be called to account.
Your chest-thumping “J’accuse“—
is its opposite: a moral stain paramount.