Increments

By Mordant Carnival

When they took your toes, you let them. They smiled hard,
In order to forestall your refusal.
Behind the courtesy, a demand.
Don't be selfish. This is a small thing
That we ask of you.
We'll leave you the largest ones--
Be reasonable.
So you gave them up.

But having given up your toes, you found it hard
To refuse the next lot your feet.
We will give you new feet, they said.
Don't be silly.
They'll be almost as good.
You'll never know the difference.
So you went along with it.
You asked when the new ones would arrive;
They pretended not to hear you.

When they came back
(This time for your leg) you would have put you foot down
If you'd had one. But your balance was too uncertain.
Look, you're sitting down anyway, they said.
You don't need both of those.
Don't be churlish.

They gave you a new leg,
But you have to share it with a family of four.

Now when you leave your house, you are required
To surrender one of your arms to the guards.
You'll get it back when you come home, they tell you.
Here's your receipt.
Don't be difficult.
Everyone else is doing it, look.

But you can't:
Last week, your eyes were impounded.
A formality, they said. Don't be paranoid.
We just need to run a few checks.
Vision is a dangerous thing in the wrong hands.