Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Poetry, Democracy, and the Vineyard of Renewal

Poetry, Democracy, and the Vineyard of Renewal

A California vineyard during sunset.

Getty Images, Anton Petrus

Poetry pulses through the veins of American heritage, shaping our nation’s conscience and collective voice. In the 19th century, Walt Whitman recognized that both poetry and democracy derive their power from unifying disparate voices into a harmonious whole. His words inI Hear America Singing” still resonate, reminding us that each citizen’s song enriches the greater chorus.

Throughout history, poetry has served as a mirror, reflecting the triumphs and trials of our democratic journey. It challenges, illuminates, and inspires—an ever-evolving force in shaping conversations that matter.


The Fulcrum is proud to present an original poem by Michael Varga, author of “Under Chad’s Spell” and a former Foreign Service officer who has served in Dubai, Damascus, Casablanca, and Toronto.

“The Sour Grapes of a Dying Democracy” is a meditation on the seductive allure of power and the bitter reckoning it brings. Varga’s metaphor—a vineyard once abundant, now poisoned by corruption—calls for renewal. As democracy teeters, we must confront the consequences of compromised leadership and sow new seeds for future generations. The harvest may take generations, but only through vigilance and truth can we restore the legacy entrusted to us.

Read. ….Reflect….. Engage…..and Enjoy.

A Poem by Michael Varga

The Sour Grapes of a Dying Democracy

At the moment of veraison*

We don’t yet know how sour

Is the fruit. A far Trumped tower

Makes the grapes appear appetizing.

They turn crimson, then black.

Now we know the harvest

Will be abnormal, the harshest.

Uprooting vines is our task:

We must expunge the downcast.

About the prize, the crew chief lies.

He charges the pickers to pick.

But when the vintage ferments

We taste how bitter, how sick.

All of the vines are corrupt.

We have to start over, a new

Planting of the sacred vineyard

Handed down from beloved ancestors

Who measured risks of hiring

Overseers who deceive us, miring.

It will take eons for the next harvest.

But our sons, daughters will reap best

Long after we hover above the mist,

Gauging the robust bequest we left.


*veraison refers to the period when grapes begin to ripen, marking the transition from growth to maturation. This stage is characterized by changes in color.

David Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

Read More

Just the Facts: North Korea’s Nuclear Program Any More. Have We Reached an Agreement?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the South and North Korea on June 30, 2019 in Panmunjom, South Korea.

Getty Images, Handout

Just the Facts: North Korea’s Nuclear Program Any More. Have We Reached an Agreement?

The Fulcrum strives to approach news stories with an open mind and skepticism, striving to present our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, we remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.

We haven't heard much about North Korea's nuclear program lately, not because there's been a breakthrough agreement, but because the situation has largely hardened into a new, more dangerous normal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meet the Faces of Democracy: Spenser Mestel

Since his first Election Day as a poll worker in 2012, Mestel has worked two more presidential elections, two primary elections, and a municipal election.

Issue One

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Spenser Mestel

More than 10,000 officials across the country run U.S. elections. This interview is part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

Spenser Mestel, a registered Democrat, worked as a poll worker for over a decade in Brooklyn, the largest borough in New York City. Across just 300 square miles of land, New York City is home to over 4.7 million active registered voters spanning five boroughs (and coextensive counties). Nearly a third of those voters are located in Brooklyn, which is located in Kings County and is home to the most active voters in the state of New York at about 1.5 million.

Keep ReadingShow less
America Is Losing Its Light
New legislation would convene Congress at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, the site of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4, 1776, for the 250th anniversary on July 2, 2026.
Getty Images, Douglas Rissing

America Is Losing Its Light

America has been, for most of its 250-year history, a beacon to the rest of the world. It has been a light of freedom and humanity—regardless of its own failings—in a world in which there has been little freedom and humanity. In a world where the 20th century saw the rise of dictators for whom the words freedom and humanity were of no use, where the peoples of Europe, Russia, and China were subjected to unspeakable horrors and daily deprivations.

In some countries, like Germany and Italy, the citizens voted these misbegotten men into office. These men did not hide what they wanted to do. But they were forceful, charismatic men, and the despair of the people resulted in their being hailed as God-like creatures: der Führer and il Duce. All the powers in those countries—politicians, judges, the military, educators—bent their knees to these elected dictators and swore absolute subservience to their leader.

Keep ReadingShow less