Yes, here I am

All body parts

Intact, where they should be.

My heart to beat

My feet to walk

Both eyes in orbs to see.

I have two lungs

If you want one

Please put away your knife.

I’m keeping both

Within my chest

I will not save your life.

You danced the stage

So lithe and light

Like Tinkerbelle aglow

In twilight shimmering

Magically

Until you stubbed your toe.

And fell. Kaput!

A bag of bones

And roughly hit the floor.

Your life upon

The stage in ruins

For you could dance no more.

Unless you got

A kindly soul

To give to you a foot;

Then you could dance

As once you did

Before you went Kaput.

So to my door

Your champions came

To make a small request:

They said, “You have

Two feet. Give one

To her – it would be best.

You aren’t an artist

You don’t glow.

You are not lithe and light.

You cannot dance

Upon a stage

As winsome as a sprite.

Two feet are much

Too much for you;

Your need is not as great.

And you must give

Your extra foot

To her – that is your fate.”

So said your burly

Champions after

Coming to my door.

Because, you fool,

You stubbed your toe,

And stumbled to the floor!

Now listen here,

My lithesome dear,

I’m sorry for your woe.

And truly if

From clay I could

I’d gladly craft a toe.

To stitch or glue

Or staple to

Your foot to give you cheer,

So you again

Could leap and dance

Resuming your career.

You feel entitled

To the foot that

Dangles from my ankle

Well, frankly dear,

The thought of that

Does more than merely rankle.

I do not care

If you can sing

With nightingale’s tongue.

You cannot have

If you should need

My second (extra) lung.

My kidneys, too,

I shall retain

And all my extra skin.

All my superfluous

Body parts,

I plan to keep within.

The temple of

My spirit may

Not be a giving kind.

But I don’t care

Because, my dear,

What’s mine is mine is mine!

Shelly Reuben has been nominated for Edgar, Prometheus, and Falcon awards. She is an author, private detective, and fire investigator. For more about her books, visit www.shellyreuben.com.

Copyright © Shelly Reuben, 2014