Hawks

Hawks

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Hawks kettling on the thermals
high above the Appalachians on their way south—it looks like

thought, the mind floating by way of association, veering

and floating, circling back
to the impinging weight of a remembered event

or nonevent of—as what led here in the first place—

mind, the movement of the mind
outweighing any material force or falling

which is the origin of force—where there’s

gravity that is—a falling toward
what ultimately no one knows of,

human thinking reaching

only so far past what can be seen
by way of scientific instruments

such as solar wind out of the sun’s atmosphere

then into Earth’s
appearing in the form

of changes in the weather or a loss of electrical power

—thus entering
a house, a room, the space freeing the mind

without the intimidation of those stands of pines reflected in

Greek or Egyptian groves of columns,
the catalpa’s imposing plate-sized leaves.

We cannot back down

We now confront a second Trump presidency.

There’s not a moment to lose. We must harness our fears, our grief, and yes, our anger, to resist the dangerous policies Donald Trump will unleash on our country. We rededicate ourselves to our role as journalists and writers of principle and conscience.

Today, we also steel ourselves for the fight ahead. It will demand a fearless spirit, an informed mind, wise analysis, and humane resistance. We face the enactment of Project 2025, a far-right supreme court, political authoritarianism, increasing inequality and record homelessness, a looming climate crisis, and conflicts abroad. The Nation will expose and propose, nurture investigative reporting, and stand together as a community to keep hope and possibility alive. The Nation’s work will continue—as it has in good and not-so-good times—to develop alternative ideas and visions, to deepen our mission of truth-telling and deep reporting, and to further solidarity in a nation divided.

Armed with a remarkable 160 years of bold, independent journalism, our mandate today remains the same as when abolitionists first founded The Nation—to uphold the principles of democracy and freedom, serve as a beacon through the darkest days of resistance, and to envision and struggle for a brighter future.

The day is dark, the forces arrayed are tenacious, but as the late Nation editorial board member Toni Morrison wrote “No! This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”

I urge you to stand with The Nation and donate today.

Onwards,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

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