Dear Melissa—

Dear Melissa—

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

On each body is
carried the shape of its
absence—the uncontrollable morning—
a hammock over-turned
by the wind—bird-
shit—which implies beauty
but is not beautiful in and of
itself—now on both sides
of the cloth—
How does it feel
to not want—
I want
a woman’s body that isn’t afraid
of me—my back against
whatever is stronger—a pillow,
a table, the hood of a car—I want to lift
and be spread out—a blanket
on the deck—the earth
turning at a thousand miles
per hour—18 miles
a second hurtling
through space—I want to be held
to the ground—a bird
after it has been a bird
against a window—I want
what any woman wants—a body
she can sleep in—my own—sheets
pushed to the side—

Become a Sustaining Donor This September

Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

We must have an independent media that sets the record straight, unearths corruption and abuses of power, and advances a politics of justice and dignity for all if we’re to win this fight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. This September, The Nation needs to add 100 monthly donors to sustain our progressive journalism. Your contribution makes the next investigative report, the next truth-speaking column, and the next pathbreaking essay all possible. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a recurring donation today. If you donate $10 or more a month, we’ll send you a brand new “Hands Off the Free Press!” sticker to recognise your commitment to our cause. Please, donate today. 

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

x