The Beginning
There is no one without his hour
and the hour for us arrived at dusk
when two sparrows
outside the café pecked crumbs
off the curb, suddenly turning
into birds of great plumage,
both of them singing,
male and female,
unheard of, yet heard
by us at a table
in a Broadway shed
until the dinner hour came to a close,
that hour in the first line
you’ve already forgotten
because I distracted you
with the conversion of the birds
and the magical crumbs
like words you follow
down the page
until you come to the end
and find yourself facing me.
I tell you I’m starting to fall…
but you interrupt, saying Oh
and this is the next to last line
and just the beginning.
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
