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Poems
/ March 9, 2026
De-snowed
Quang Mai
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Snow as little prayers, or wings,
clipped and left behind by angels
that decided to become
humans today. And today,
the interiority of rain. It’s true,
I don’t know how to make meanings
of my mess. My palms, pinkened
as they scooped up an armful
of torn, crystalized wings, feathered with
ground & dirt, and held it close
to my chest. Where can I put it down?
Anne Carson’s persona in The Glass Essay
replied, when her mother told her
her memories need some sorts
of unhoarding. I wonder about ways
to respond to that, when all the
spaces I have left are, already,
behind me (?) The snow that charmed me
has now brushed against that window-pane,
where stood a boy, donning
the straps of his mother’s maxi dress.
The mirror in front of him has
this slight torque from fingerprints.
Fake silverware and light, reverberating in
mythic photons. Vision of a snowfield,
where winter frost bruises everything
into a quiet something. Little metaphors
that are beautiful in this life only.
You must wonder now—
if the snow has become the boy’s mucus,
pooling on his wrists, as he crouched down,
hands scratching kneecaps. Or is it
the milkwood flowers outside,
pluming the streets with their pale, steely
canopies. Like the said God’s arms,
flailing and reaching to hear the last
words of his kind—
Keep Reading
Submit a correction
Send a letter to the editor
Reprints & permissions
Support independent journalism that does not fall in line
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, …
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.
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Current Issue
Poems
/ March 9, 2026
De-snowed
Quang Mai
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Ad Policy
Snow as little prayers, or wings,
clipped and left behind by angels
that decided to become
humans today. And today,
the interiority of rain. It’s true,
I don’t know how to make meanings
of my mess. My palms, pinkened
as they scooped up an armful
of torn, crystalized wings, feathered with
ground & dirt, and held it close
to my chest. Where can I put it down?
Anne Carson’s persona in The Glass Essay
replied, when her mother told her
her memories need some sorts
of unhoarding. I wonder about ways
to respond to that, when all the
spaces I have left are, already,
behind me (?) The snow that charmed me
has now brushed against that window-pane,
where stood a boy, donning
the straps of his mother’s maxi dress.
The mirror in front of him has
this slight torque from fingerprints.
Fake silverware and light, reverberating in
mythic photons. Vision of a snowfield,
where winter frost bruises everything
into a quiet something. Little metaphors
that are beautiful in this life only.
You must wonder now—
if the snow has become the boy’s mucus,
pooling on his wrists, as he crouched down,
hands scratching kneecaps. Or is it
the milkwood flowers outside,
pluming the streets with their pale, steely
canopies. Like the said God’s arms,
flailing and reaching to hear the last
words of his kind—
Keep Reading
Submit a correction
Send a letter to the editor
Reprints & permissions
Support independent journalism that does not fall in line
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, …
De-snowed
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.
Log In
Email *
Password *
Remember Me
Forgot Your Password?
Log In
New to The Nation? Subscribe
Print subscriber? Activate your online access
Skip to content Skip to footer
De-snowed
Magazine
Newsletters
Subscribe
Log In
Search
Subscribe
Donate
Magazine
Latest
Archive
Podcasts
Newsletters
Sections
Politics
World
Economy
Culture
Books & the Arts
The Nation
About
Events
Contact Us
Advertise
Current Issue
Poems
/ March 9, 2026
De-snowed
Quang Mai
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Ad Policy
Snow as little prayers, or wings,
clipped and left behind by angels
that decided to become
humans today. And today,
the interiority of rain. It’s true,
I don’t know how to make meanings
of my mess. My palms, pinkened
as they scooped up an armful
of torn, crystalized wings, feathered with
ground & dirt, and held it close
to my chest. Where can I put it down?
Anne Carson’s persona in The Glass Essay
replied, when her mother told her
her memories need some sorts
of unhoarding. I wonder about ways
to respond to that, when all the
spaces I have left are, already,
behind me (?) The snow that charmed me
has now brushed against that window-pane,
where stood a boy, donning
the straps of his mother’s maxi dress.
The mirror in front of him has
this slight torque from fingerprints.
Fake silverware and light, reverberating in
mythic photons. Vision of a snowfield,
where winter frost bruises everything
into a quiet something. Little metaphors
that are beautiful in this life only.
You must wonder now—
if the snow has become the boy’s mucus,
pooling on his wrists, as he crouched down,
hands scratching kneecaps. Or is it
the milkwood flowers outside,
pluming the streets with their pale, steely
canopies. Like the said God’s arms,
flailing and reaching to hear the last
words of his kind—
Keep Reading
Submit a correction
Send a letter to the editor
Reprints & permissions
Support independent journalism that does not fall in line
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, …
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