Advent Poems

Today’s Advent poem comes from from one of my all time favourite poets and fellow sinner, John Donne (1572-1631) –  of “No Man is an Island” fame.

Holy Sonnet VII: At the Round Earth’s

A statue of Donne dressed in his funeral shroud in St Paul’s London. Courtesy: Google Images

At the round earths imagin’d corners, blow

Your trumpets, Angells, and arise, arise

From death, you numberlesse infinities

Of soules, and to your scattred bodies goe,

All whom the flood did, and fire shall o’erthrow,

All whom warre, dearth, sage, agues, tyrannies,

Despaire, law chance, hath slaine, and you whose eyes,

Shall behold God, and never tast deaths woe.

But let them sleepe, Lord, and mee mourne a space,

For, if above all these, my sinnes abound,

‘Tis late to aske abundance of thy grace,

When wee are there; here on this lowly ground,

Teach mee how to repent; for that’s as good

As if thou’hadst seal’d my pardon, with thy blood.

John Donne

JOHN DONNE COMPLETE WORKS ULTIMATE COLLECTION – All Poems, Love Poetry, Holy Sonnets, Devotions, Meditations, English Poems, Sermons PLUS BIOGRAPHIES and ANNOTATIONS [Annotated] . Everlasting Flames Publishing. Kindle Edition.