Mary
I would have missed the wisteria,
vining purple proof of the mystical,
but Mary said to pay attention.
I saw the cherry blossoms, the henbit,
the ground gone violet. I pictured her,
bare feet on a carpet of soft moss:
My work is loving the world.
Where she saw dogfish, I saw the hooks
in their shark smiles, the rings of plastic
that will outlive us all. I confess that I searched
for the easier world. Still, I kept my eyes
on the trees. How many seasons did I fail
to look? To smell the phlox, sweet like
honeysuckle? The red-tailed hawk was here
even in my oblivion, and each spring,
the baby geese. Look at them, how
they cannot answer for this world.
How they do not care to try.
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
