First Things RSS Feed - Valerie Wohlfeld https://www.firstthings.com/author/valerie-wohlfeld en-us Copyright 2025 First Things. All Rights Reserved. ft@firstthings.com (The Editors) ft@firstthings.com (The Editors) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:43:06 -0500 https://d2201k5v4hmrsv.cloudfront.net/img/favicon-196.png First Things RSS Feed Image https://www.firstthings.com/rss/author/valerie-wohlfeld 60 Stained Glass https://www.firstthings.com/article/2025/01/stained-glass https://www.firstthings.com/article/2025/01/stained-glass Wed, 01 Jan 2025 06:00:00 -0500 My father holds a panel of glass
between us: we are both bathed blue.
Wordlessly, we let the light pass
through. Where blade scores, glass breaks true.

Continue Reading »

]]> Walking the Sea https://www.firstthings.com/article/2005/11/walking-the-sea https://www.firstthings.com/article/2005/11/walking-the-sea Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0500 Walking the sea, I think of the small diaspora
of the hermit crab, and the unshackled shell.
I think of the sealed spiral, niche and cupola
the nautilus crafts as if the ether windowed spirit level.
I think of the mollusk that lets the coffined pearl,
blind eye white as albumen”grow.

Continue Reading »

]]> Love the Lovely Boomerang https://www.firstthings.com/article/2004/04/002-love-the-lovely-boomerang https://www.firstthings.com/article/2004/04/002-love-the-lovely-boomerang Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0500 Love the lovely boomerang
remands, in command and countermand,
circumnavigations that sang
exile and reply out of the waiving hand.
The little hertz of heartbeat
(or the singing voice in graph)
so necessary, so obsolete
like the dead’s last telegraph.
Love the lovely boomerang,
mahogany curved bands
in unrequited air hang
mobile”then as if in reprimand
the striped wood taciturn, turns and turns”
to the willing hand returns.

Continue Reading »

]]>