Nonetheless

Nonetheless                                                                              
 
Liberation?  You offer servitude.
Attainment?  Lowliness. 
 
Empowerment?  Helplessness.
Purity and bliss?  Ghamela yoga:  
 
pain, grime, exhaustion –
ground to dust under Your heel.
 
You drive a hard bargain, Sir!  What sort
of fools signs up for that tour of duty?
 
Pilate thought to wash his hands of Jesus.
You make sure we get ours dirty –
 
graves deeply dug; Your garment’s hem
muddied and twisted in our fists.
 
Desperate, prodigal and impaired?  Yes.   
Apprehensive and imprudent?   Yes . . .
 
nonetheless, I love and am slave
of the Slave of the love of His lovers.
 
O child of God, servitude?  You bleat
at each pinch of the fetters, each tug of the chain.