First Things RSS Feed - Chris O'Carroll https://www.firstthings.com/author/chris-ocarroll en-us Copyright 2025 First Things. All Rights Reserved. ft@firstthings.com (The Editors) ft@firstthings.com (The Editors) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:50:38 -0500 https://d2201k5v4hmrsv.cloudfront.net/img/favicon-196.png First Things RSS Feed Image https://www.firstthings.com/rss/author/chris-ocarroll 60 The French Quarter https://www.firstthings.com/article/2013/03/the-french-quarter https://www.firstthings.com/article/2013/03/the-french-quarter Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500 Yes, I remember Bourbon Street:
The pulse of jazz; the girls (and boys
Done up as girls) in clubs outside
Which barkers make their ribald noise;

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]]> Bah! https://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/12/bah https://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/12/bah Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mired deep in winter solstice cold and gloom,
Craving festivities aglow with cheer,
We lose our heads and foolishly assume
Debt we’ll regret all through the coming year.
Our budget’s of mere Cornish game hen size,
And we should choose a dinner fowl to match it,
But splurge instead, unthrifty and unwise,
To buy a turkey that outweighs Tim Cratchit.
We shop like fat-cat monarchs from the East,
Not stocking up on myrrh and frankincense,
But flashing quantities of gold, at least—
Gold cards with rates of fearsome consequence.
The season’s propaganda tells us we
Should generously aid our fellow man.
But who’s got money left for charity?
A doornail’s what that concept’s deader than.

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