125 years ago, Thomas Hardy published a poem called “The Darkling Thrush.”  I don’t often read poetry and am by no means a connoisseur, but when I first read this poem, it captured my attention, although I wasn’t sure why. I reread it a few more times, trying to understand the words and why they felt so pertinent. Reading it today, as this year comes to a close, Hardy’s poem feels just as relevant on New Year’s Eve of 2025 as it did at the end of the 19th century. (If you’re