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

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

America Has Always Been a Christian Nation

Riley M. Moore

America is a Christian nation. It was at its birth, and despite increasing attacks on this reality,…

Ban the Books

Liel Leibovitz

Walk into a bookstore anywhere in the country. Chances are that, somewhere toward the front, you’ll see…

How the Press Lost Public Trust

Mark Bauerlein

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