serpentine

A monk in a cell, 
with a face like a mask 
is praying to God 
to avoid this task, 
while across the sea 
the prisoner there
is counting the days 
'til the end at last. 
Doesn't matter him
her 
or their,
not to this. 
For we all have
a name, 
and a million
things to-do
at the end of the day 
we will find

were not on the list.