[Interpreting John Donne’s Holy Sonnet X]

Death is but a comma in the sentence
Of life, which is not a prison, O no!
Every hardship has its recompense,
And Death by far the greatest seed to sow.

Yes, the comma is a hook, and has
A sting so sharp it seems at first to win.
But in his pride Death minimized the pass
The Son of God did make to throttle sin.

From dust to dust, appearances deceive,
And make us think that this is all there is.
Earth swallows all its victims, us to bereave.
But one Man raised from Death do not dismiss.

Death, you are but a sleep from which I wake,
My faith, my life, my soul, you cannot take!

Ordained Servant Online, April, 2023.