Our is , our are , our am ”all melt away
To was and were , the markers of a grave.
The sweet infinitives we hope to save”
To sing , to cheer , to love , to kiss , to play ”
Prove finite: for to die will end their stay.
Carousing , feasting ”gerunds that we crave”
Collapse when dying claims both fair and brave.
Permissive modals” might and can and may ”
All vanish when stern must makes die our fate.
Our firmest sentences are all interred;
Our strictest syntax will disintegrate
Unless our phrases end in one sure Word:
The very parsing of our prayers will damn
All speakers not dissolved in the I AM .
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
