| Death is the night watch The waiter, the wanter Death is the break The wake of the sleeping |
death is the waker, the watcher of sleep. death is the breaker, the waking of sleep. |
| Down in the hole Down in the hole The frost on his fingers The blood of the sparrows |
the creaker is turning. he starts up awake. cracks in his yearning. streaks on his face. |
| The flinch of the doe The twitch of the owl Death is the sudden The shudder, the stutter |
as she drinks at the river, the flutter of mice: shrill in the shiver, the stand-still of night. |
| Down in the hole The belly, the bone-home Down in the hole The clutch of the bellman |
the hunger is calling, the empty of earth. the sleeper is falling: the caller to church. |
| Death is the night watch The waiter, the wanter Death is the break The wake of the sleeping |
death is the waker, the watcher of sleep. death is the breaker, the waking of sleep. |
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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