My father holds a panel of glass
between us: we are both bathed blue.
Wordlessly, we let the light pass
through. Where blade scores, glass breaks true.
Cut pieces are placed side by side.
Burnished, their edges touch through foil
and lead. Coils of thin smoke divide
the air above us. From such has come cinquefoil
and rose windows. The scene appears: a boat,
teal, on aqua ocean. Sails billow on air
unseen; waves move on invisible current. Remote,
cold, glossy, the boat prepares to go nowhere.
Silently the silver-soldered sea is caged.
Mirage of glass as water, the camouflage is waged.
—Valerie Wohlfeld
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
