Illustration by Tim Robinson.
1They inscribed their lives on clayand moved awayI hear the echo pulse by pulse
2Some memories we chaselike goats away from flowers,yet we wake one dayto the wilted ruins
3Let’s meet in the word forgottenfrom the dictionary, and breatheits air like the smell of the “klecha”my mother baked for the Eid holiday
4
In my country, I was a stranger.In exile, I am strange
5
The spider built its netin a statue’s open palm.For the spider, the palm is home,not a metaphor of home
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
6
Imprisoned in the magical lampfor years that exceeded even the jinni’s abilityto count; he cannot wish himself out.His brief freedoms only comewhen others wish for a bit of luck
7
When Human cries,Dog thinks the world is ending.When Human smiles,two stars from the world’s endglitter in Dog’s eyes.When Human makes waror any other ridiculous thing,Dog begs to curl up together on the rug
8
She calls aloud for the absenteesin her country’s air,calling day and nightuntil they cling in her voice
Get unlimited access: $9.50 for six months.
9
If you don’t carry the sunwithin, then why does lightspill from you everywhere?
10
Deep inside the beach,moss grows around a rock,a soft embrace.When the water washes it away,it trembles like the gestureswe make waving from balconiesfor our loved onesin pandemic times
11
We remember the days from the wordsof our beloved people
12
They kept drawing circles on the groundas if their alphabet is a feeling with no end
13
Sometimes I scribble imagesbecause I don’t have the words
14
I ask the moon: Which is more worthy of loveyour light or darkness?Moon answers: A worthy love accepts both faces
15
On the chess board,a pawn crawls to the last squareto survive
16
Earth, too, needs a space
17
I time-traveled to youfor a question
18
Through closed eyes,she saw their stolen bodies,their scattered feathers,and their flutes
19
Sad silence is translated into all languages
20
The first moment of war: a slippery fish from the river
21
The cage owner reminds the sparrow:life outside is inferno.One day the sparrow flies awayand there in the heights,overlooking the ruins of the world,the sparrow discovers the cage owner was right.It sings about the ruins,a beautiful song with no walls
22
Does the clock knowthat its little ticksmake eternity?
23
With one click, I can download your smile and everything will be good
24
Let love bethe new world order
Dunya MikhailDunya Mikhail works as a special lecturer at Oakland University.