Postcard: The Swans at the Royal Botanic Gardens

“But are they sad?” I overheard her say.
No more than five
Up North with mum for the August bank holiday.
I saw what she meant. They hardly seemed alive
Compared with, overhead, the flock of geese
That flew with everything they had toward France
Or Spain. All of a sudden, all eyes went skyward.
But if the swans were jealous, they held their peace.
I bet they knew, by then, they’d had their chance.
Homesick, maybe. Sad? That wasn’t my word.

—Dan Rattelle

Next
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

How Activism Gets Funded (ft. John Sailer)

Mark Bauerlein

In the ​latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, John Sailer joins…

Back Room to Boardroom 

Dominic Green

England’s best-groomed town is Darlington, Yorkshire. Data from Britain’s Office of National Statistics show that in 2024,…

Epstein’s Revelations

Liel Leibovitz

Far from a mere sordid distraction or an endless supply of tabloid slop, the Epstein files may…