Christoph+Mandler+Poems

Christoph Mandler I was an honest cigar-maker. First under a company and then by myself. Many thousands of cigars I would hand-craft and peddle. The newspaper even recognized me for it.

Several German organizations called me their own. The Turnverein, the Krieger Verein, and the Mannerchor, Each had its way of promoting our heritage in America.

My community embraced German heritage. The town was good and the cigar-business was good Until the war broke out and we were viewed with distrustful eyes

Then they forced our newspaper to stop writing in German. The tongue of their enemies as they saw it. They threatened to change our names.

But still I made my cigars, And peddled on foot. My business survived the hatred.

I was the last in my family to die. I went away peacefully in a hospital. Glad that I had worked hard and made many cigars.

-Stephen Chow