The Spartan boy who steals a fox
endures with fortitude the roiling mound
scratching at his proud breast under his tunic,
claws hooked in his skin: he keeps
its V-jaws veiled beneath an impassive mien.
The shoppers chatter past without a clue
while it thrashes and tears into his flesh in panic.
He weaves among the helots and hawkers;
the canines engrave his ribs”he lurches around
the Lacedaemonian ladies in the street.
The longer and closer it’s kept, the deeper
the secret gets its teeth into his veins”
he collapses. The rusty beast springs into view
and out of the town on even redder feet.
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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