Despite the doubt and forked ambivalence,
Approach, avoid, ignore, yet hope to share
In some impossible benevolence,
To care and not to care my muted prayer;
Despite the years of practiced lassitude,
And fearful of the all-consuming dare,
Adrift, unmoored, bereft of gratitude,
Consumed, perplexed, and wondering how I’ll fare—
When of a sudden you greet me as a guest
Within the great Unknowing Cloud, the why
Forgotten. Moored in you and perfect rest,
My burden down, it is enough that I
With you, within, below, between, above,
May swim and frolic in a sea of love.
—Thomas H. Bast
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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