Bond-servant”

“Bond-servant” by Sophia Rodriguez:
The faithful servant
Though he battles the enemy,
he holds fast like a tree in a raging storm
persevering mockery
among vipers
among white-washed tombs

How he persists under the thumb of a Godless empire
he strives only to please his master
eagerly and willingly he subjects himself to God’s perfect rule,
for he adores the king he serves
 
The faithful servant
Innocent skin severed by fiery hatred
Many imprisoned and forbidden-
But neither does it compare to the punishment of the offender,
Who is a vessel of destruction
that dark pitiful place of ice and fire
he chose as his destination

The faithful servants
Though their wrists may be shackled
their freedom may be stripped
They are eagles-
Soaring there, in the high and heavenly places
the poachers chase the wind madly,
they cannot satisfy their unquenchable hunger

The faithful servant
He need not fear
neither the clutch of the enemy
nor the chains of the oppressor
For they do not serve their king in vain-
they will receive the beautiful crown
the master’s approval,
and the victory of the ages