THE EVERLASTING VICTORY

By Yasen Vedrin

(The Copper Bowl)

It’s victory, if poor you stay inside,

Cursing the devil's traps and heavy vice.

Being the last in earthly goods and pride,

With no handful of greed to pay a price.

It’s victory, if kicked by all the crowd,

While worldly laughter scorns your holy soul,

Swallowing all the griefs beneath the cloud,

Yet keeping your bright, endless path whole.

It’s victory for your spirit to implore,

When evil through the worldly crisis roars,

To hug the naked people at your door,

With unfeigned sorrow that their eye outpours.

It’s victory, left with a fading might,

To crush down the titan of deceit,

As long as faith inside you kept alright

The sculpted Stone in God’s own hand complete.

It’s victory to bear the furnace flame,

Since God's own Holy Fire is more hot.

The Fourth One is your Prize, who came

To save you in the burning oven’s lot.

It’s victory inside the lions' den

For Peace to be your Shield and heavy wall,

While dogs of evil traps and wicked men

Are swallowed by a terror after all.

It’s victory to contemplate with pride

The Holy Castling, both by night and day –

For if the first falls down from built-up pride,

The last will be exalted from the clay…

And let your heart look closely on this sheet,

Not at the words, but Spirit they display:

Christ is the everlasting Victory, complete,

Above this world, by Evil snared away!