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  1. Culture
  2. Poetry
26 January 2022

The NS Poem: Invisible Hand Sings Carpe Diem

A new poem by Kathleen Winter.

By Kathleen Winter

Listen, if my word’s worth anything,
stop getting and spending for half a minute.
Even I do it sometimes; I’m not all business.
Seize the day. Put your phone down, stow
your briefcase, catch a few rays. The sea breeze
is vivid. Sifting through my digits, this sand
distracts me from the hourglass. I can play
volleyball all morning, harmonica this afternoon.
I catch a thousand waves. Nothing beats timing
the tides just right to find a fortune in sand
dollars before the striped umbrellas vanish
and shadows crepe the strand, before every last
Before expires, and all that’s left is After.

Kathleen Winter is the author of three poetry collections, “Transformer” (Word Works), “I will not kick my friends” and “Nostalgia for the Criminal Past” (both Elixir Press)

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This article appears in the 26 Jan 2022 issue of the New Statesman, The Light that Failed

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
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