I saw his Facebook picture, met for chat,
And then the two of us said that was that :
Except the world can always change online.
(I knew that already from his Rosaline.)
I felt the Capulets and Montagues
Were always asking the two of us to choose.
And all we wanted was the sweet IM
To jolt us in our bed at 3 A.M.
Have you been bullied? That’s what it was like:
The dread of all of the comments on the wall,
The feeling that they’ll get you, one and all.
When he thought I was dead, it killed his soul.
I had to kill myself, and for his sake.
Now people can make comments: “Like. Dislike.”
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.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
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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