Excise
Dear friend, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to my existential poem, which is, in fact, another reflection on life.
“Excise” is a raw, existential cry against the systemic "packaging" of human experience.
Just to clarify before you dive into the depths of the poem, I intended it to be a critique of the fragile, socially constructed identity we all maintain.
The subject is highly debatable, and it will be interesting to discuss the poem's message, nuances, and imagery, specifically in the areas of true freedom, innocence, and individual rebellion against the status quo.
Thank you and enjoy.
Peace and love.
Sal
Excise
(An existential poem by Sal Godoij.)
I want to excise myself from this life with its dictatorship of illnesses
Accidents, incidents, tragedies, and progress.
Its democracy of happiness, be it love, be it money, be it health
Be it shopping
But no freedom at all, alas, never freedom, unless one thinks
Life that speaks of free will that brings expression, desires, arguments
And a few other things
I want to throw out the window this house of cards I have built
Where my life lives, where my life has lived until now
Innocent, because all life is innocent
What my life has learned and what it learns, good and evil and their differences
In truth and falsehood
In agreement with what the recipe of life in general dictates
The recipe I have acquired from the convenience store
That accompanies my life, the convenience store in which my life is immersed
The stock market, the supermarket, the hypermarket, the exalted market
That governs my hunger, my diet, my stomach, my mind, my tastes, my life, my health
I want to remove it, remove this life of the public, of crowds
Of crowds in the social media universe
Excise my life from gatherings, applause, coughs, sneezes
Bacteria, viruses and fungi, lovers and unrequited love, deranged poets
Veteran warriors of forgotten wars
Unemployed prophets of the end of the world
Prophets who preach of the sacrifice required by this religion, they call life.
I say enough, and I throw myself to the ground from the height of my head
And nothing happens, and the world goes on
And each day the crowd fill the streets
The sun rises, and the moon rises
And the seed sprouts, and the fruits ripen
And my silence grows, and my rage sprouts in it.
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Analysis of Godoij’s poem by Google Gemini 3
Here is a breakdown of the poem’s core themes and philosophical implications.
1. The False Dichotomy: Dictatorship vs. Democracy
Godoij uses political metaphors to describe the biological and social realities of existence.
The Dictatorship of Chaos: Illness, accidents, and "progress" are framed as authoritarian forces. They happen to us without our consent. We are subjects to the whims of biology and the relentless forward march of technology.
The Democracy of Consumerism: Interestingly, he labels happiness, love, and shopping as a "democracy." This label implies that these "positive" states are often just popular mandates or social expectations. We "vote" for them by participating, but Godoij argues this isn't true freedom—it’s just choosing from a pre-set menu.
2. The "Convenience Store" of Identity
One of the most striking metaphors is the "recipe of life" acquired from the "convenience store."
Commodification of Values: Godoij suggests that our morals (good and evil) and our truths are not organic. They are mass-produced products we’ve picked off a shelf.
The Market State: By escalating the scale from "market" to "exalted market," he highlights how deeply capitalism and social consumption govern even our most private parts: our stomachs, our minds, and our tastes. We aren't living; we are consuming a life-kit designed by someone else.
3. The Act of Excision
The word "excise" is surgical and violent. It’s not just "leaving"; it’s cutting something out.
Social Distancing (Philosophical): He seeks to excise himself from the "public"—the noise of crowds, the biological threat of "coughs and sneezes," and the exhausting drama of "prophets" and "warriors."
The Religion of Life: He views the modern hustle as a religion that demands constant sacrifice. To "excise" oneself is to become a heretic to the cult of productivity and social performance.
4. The Anti-Climax: "Nothing Happens"
The poem’s ending provides a sobering realization of existential indifference.
The Great Fall: When the narrator says, "I throw myself to the ground from the height of my head," it’s a brilliant image of a purely mental or ego-driven collapse. It’s a "fall" of perspective, not a physical one.
The World’s Persistence: The tragedy (or perhaps the comfort) is that the world doesn't blink. The sun and clouds "sprout" regardless of his internal rebellion. The universe is indifferent to his "enough."
Summary of Implications
Godoij's message is a critique of the "House of Cards"—the fragile, socially constructed identity we all maintain. He implies that:
True freedom is nearly impossible because we are "immersed" in the convenience store of social norms.
Innocence remains in life, but it is quickly buried under the "recipes" we are taught.
Individual rebellion is a quiet, internal event that the external world—in its natural and commercial forms—will ignore.
Philosophical Note: This echoes the Stoic realization that we cannot control the "dictatorship" of external events, but Godoij adds a modern, cynical twist: we've also lost control of our internal "tastes" to the "hypermarket" of society.
To understand Sal Godoij’s "market of life" through the lens of existentialism, we must look at how he treats the individual vs. the system. While he shares the DNA of thinkers like Sartre and Camus, his "Canadian Philosopher" perspective adds a layer of modern consumerist critique that feels particularly heavy.
Here is how his reflection stacks up against the titans of existentialist thought.
1. Sartre and the "House of Cards"
Jean-Paul Sartre famously argued that "existence precedes essence"—meaning we are born as nothingness and must build our own meaning.
The Agreement: Godoij’s "house of cards" is essentially Sartre’s "essence." It is the structure we build to give ourselves a name, a career, and a place in the market.
The Divergence: Sartre believed in "radical freedom," the idea that you are always free to choose. Godoij is more pessimistic. He suggests that the "Convenience Store" (social conditioning) is so immersive that “true free will” might be an illusion or, at best, a "few other things" that are hard to find. He feels "excised" from freedom by the very "democracy" that claims to provide it.
2. Camus and the "Exalted Market"
Albert Camus focused on The Absurd: the conflict between the human longing for order and the silent, chaotic universe.
The Struggle: Camus’s Sisyphus pushes a rock; Godoij’s protagonist shops at a hypermarket. Both are repetitive, somewhat meaningless tasks mandated by the condition of being alive.
The Ending: When Godoij says "nothing happens; the world goes on," he is reaching the same conclusion as Camus in The Stranger. When Meursault faces execution, he realizes the "benign indifference of the universe." Godoij’s realization that the "streets sprout each day" regardless of his protest is a classic Absurdist "checkmate."
3. The Modern Twist: The "Dictionary of Illnesses"
As a modern existentialist, Godoij focuses on The System—bacteria, viruses, progress, and shopping.
Bureaucratic Existentialism: Godoij’s "Dictatorship of Progress" suggests that we are oppressed not just by death, but by the management of life.
The Recipe: While Sartre thought we wrote our own book, Godoij suggests we are just following a "recipe" bought at a convenience store. We aren't authors; we are consumers of our own identities.
Comparison Matrix: Godoij vs. The Classics
Feature
Sal Godoij
Jean-Paul Sartre
Albert Camus
The Enemy
The "Hypermarket" (Consumerism/System)
"Bad Faith" (Lying to oneself)
"The Absurd" (Meaningless universe)
Freedom
A myth "unless one thinks" deeply
An absolute, terrifying burden
Found in acknowledging the struggle
The World
Indifferent; "streets sprout"
A stage for human action
Silently, beautifully indifferent
The Solution
Excision/Throwing it out the window
Choosing authentically
Embracing the "revolt"
Implications: The "Innocent" Life
The most poignant part of Godoij reflection is the claim that "all life is innocent." This idea suggests that our "evil" or "falsehood" isn't an inherent flaw in our souls, but a result of the "recipe" we were forced to follow. It’s a move toward a more compassionate, albeit weary, view of humanity. We are all just "vacant warriors" trapped in a supermarket we didn't ask to enter.
To dive deeper into Godoij’s work, we must look at the "interior" nature of his rebellion. He isn't describing a physical exit from the world, but a psychological amputation.
1. The Height of One’s Head: The Ego Fall
When Godoij writes, "I throw myself to the ground from the height of my head," he is describing a specific type of collapse.
The Paradox of Scale: Usually, a fall is dangerous because of the distance from the ground. By limiting the fall to the "height of my head," he suggests that the most monumental thing about us is our own perspective.
Mental Suicide vs. Physical Suicide: This isn't a poem about ending life but about killing the Persona. He is dropping the "House of Cards" (the ego) to the floor.
The Intellectual "Thud": The phrase "And nothing happens" underscores the tragedy of the intellectual. You can have a world-shattering epiphany or a total mental breakdown, but the "convenience store" across the street will still be open, and the "bacteria" will still be looking for a host.
2. Excision and "Social Death"
In sociology and philosophy, Social Death refers to a state where a person is physically alive but ceases to be recognized as a person by society. Godoij, however, seems to be choosing a form of this.
The Public as Contagion: He links the public (crowds, applause) directly to biological threats (coughs, sneezes, viruses). To him, social interaction is a form of infection.
· Veteran warriors of forgotten wars: By excising himself from "gatherings," he becomes a ghost in the machine. He is opting out of the "Exalted Market."
The Refusal to Perform: Most "prophets" and "poets" in the poem are "unemployed" or "deranged." Godoij is suggesting that the roles society offers us are just costumes. To excise oneself is to take off the costume and realize there is no "free will" underneath, only "Life" in its raw, innocent form.
3. The "House of Cards" vs. The "Sprouting" World
Godoij sets up a final, beautiful contrast between Construction and Growth.
The House of Cards (Human)
The Sprouting World (Nature)
Built with effort/anxiety
Happens effortlessly
Fragile and artificial
Resilient and "sprouting"
Immured in "recipes" and "markets"
Driven by an innate, innocent force
Can be "thrown out the window"
Cannot be stopped
The Philosophical Implication: The Relief of Insignificance
The "nothing happens" at the end of the poem is actually the climax. It is the moment the narrator realizes he is not the protagonist of the universe.
In a way, this is existential humility. The "dictatorship" of accidents and the "democracy" of shopping are human inventions. The sun, the plants, and the clouds "sprouting" represent a life that doesn't need a "recipe" or a "convenience store" to exist. They just are.
Final Thoughts
Godoij’s "excision" is an attempt to get back to that "sprouting" state—to live without the "exalted market" governing his stomach and mind. He wants to return to the innocence of life before it learned the "recipe" of good and evil.
It is a weary, cynical, but ultimately grounded perspective: We can quit the "religion of life," but we can't stop the sun from rising.
When I mention a modern dilemma in the context of Godoij’s work, I am referring to the Paradox of Choice in the Digital Age—specifically, the way our "internal" selves have been colonized by the "Hypermarket" he describes.
In the past, existentialists worried about being crushed by a "Big Brother" dictatorship. Godoij’s dilemma is more subtle: we are being crushed by a "Democracy of Shopping" where our very desires are pre-packaged.
Here are three specific modern dilemmas his poem touches upon:
1. The "Algorithm" as the General Store
Godoij speaks of the "recipe of life" acquired from the convenience store. Today, that store is the Algorithm.
The Dilemma: We feel we are expressing "free will" when we choose what to watch, who to follow, or what to buy.
The Godoij View: This is a "House of Cards." The "Hypermarket" (social media/big tech) governs our "tastes" and "minds" so effectively that we aren't actually choosing; we are just consuming a recipe designed to keep us "immersed."
2. The Professionalization of "Tragedy"
He mentions "Prophets of the end of the world, unemployed again."
The Dilemma: We live in a 24-hour news cycle where "tragedies" and "accidents" are commodities used to capture attention.
The Godoij View: We have turned the "sacrifice required by this religion" (staying informed, being outraged, "activism" via consumption) into a lifestyle. He wants to excise himself from this "applause" and "coughing" to find a life that is "innocent" of the narrative.
3. The "Height of One’s Head" (Mental Burnout)
The specific dilemma here is the Performative Self.
The Dilemma: Because we live in a "public of crowds" (online and off), we are constantly building and maintaining a version of ourselves.
The Godoij View: This building is exhausting. When he says, "I say enough," he is addressing the modern burnout—the desire to collapse the "House of Cards" identity and simply exist like a "sprouting plant" that doesn't need to be liked, seen, or "celebrated."
The "Sprouting" Solution
The most modern aspect of his reflection is the realization that disconnecting doesn't break the world. In an era of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), Godoij suggests a "JOMO" (Joy Of Missing Out) taken to its logical, philosophical extreme. He realizes that when he stops participating in the "Exalted Market," the streets still sprout. The dilemma of "feeling necessary" is solved by the relief of being unnecessary.
Sal Godoij’s work serves as a powerful reminder that while we may be born into a "recipe" not of our own making, therefore, recognizing the "house of cards" is a form of profound intellectual freedom. The "sprouting" world remains waiting for us whenever we decide we have had "enough."
To round out your study on Sal Godoij’s themes of systemic exhaustion, the "market" of identity, and existential indifference, here is a curated list of thinkers and poets who speak a similar language.
1. The Existential Poets (The "House of Cards" & Failure)
Fernando Pessoa (specifically The Book of Disquiet): Like Godoij, Pessoa (writing under the heteronym Bernardo Soares) explores the "convenience store" of the soul. He writes about the exhaustion of being a person and the desire to "excise" oneself from the social obligation of existing.
Rainer Maria Rilke (The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brygge): Rilke captures the "dictatorship of illnesses and accidents" in the urban landscape, portraying the city as a place where people "wear faces" like recipes picked from a shelf.
2. The Philosophers of the "Market" (The System)
Guy Debord (The Society of the Spectacle): Debord is the definitive source for the "Exalted Market." He argues that life is no longer about living but about appearing. His work is the technical blueprint for Godoij’s "democracy of shopping."
Byung-Chul Han (The Burnout Society): A contemporary philosopher who perfectly matches Godoij’s "prophets of sacrifice." Han argues that we have transitioned from a "dictatorship" of external masters to a "democracy" where we exploit ourselves in the name of "progress" and "health."
3. The "Sprouting World" & Absurdism
Albert Camus (The Myth of Sisyphus & The Stranger): Essential for understanding the "nothing happens" conclusion. Camus’s concept of "The Absurd" is the ground Godoij hits when he throws himself from the height of his head.
Emil Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born): For a darker, more cynical take on "innocence." Cioran, like Godoij, views life as a "religion" or a "preaching" that one must eventually say "enough" to.
4. Sociological Perspectives
Zygmunt Bauman (Liquid Modernity): Bauman discusses how our identities have become "consumer goods." If you are researching Godoij’s "General Store" metaphor, Bauman provides the sociological evidence for how we "shop" for our lives.
Suggested Research Path
If you are writing a paper or a deep-dive study, I recommend grouping your findings into these three pillars:
The Built Life: (Godoij/Pessoa/Bauman) — The artificiality of the "House of Cards."
The Biological Dictatorship: (Godoij/Rilke/Han) — The weight of health, progress, and viruses.
The Natural Indifference: (Godoij/Camus) — The relief found in the "sprouting" world that exists outside of human "applause."
