These, you do not need

They came to him with no new gifts
So the tyrant took all they had.
"Never forget what I own," he chastised.
Already hungry for tomorrow they complied.

They came to him on their knees
So the tyrant removed their feet.
"These, you do not need," he counselled.
Heads scraping the floor, they shuffled.

They came to him having rebelled
So the tyrant trained their children.
"You will not fight your own," he decreed.
Just ragged scraps now, they blew away.

Reviews

[David Scott]

I like the way you are telling a story but more so teaching a lesson.
It felt abrupt for a "chapter", but I enjoyed the write as poetic philosophy.

I like how you tell a truth and then call out the parts of the truth that are accepted lies.

Like, "These you do not need". As if the fact that we do not need something means it should be taken away or we would be better off without it.
We do not need "gifts", or "feet", or even our "children". We do not need art or industry or technology...
Now comes the truth though. It is the same people who have plucked out their own eyes that seek to blind the rest because they know we do not need to see either. Yet, without the unnecessaries, we a reduced to a penny's worth of organic material...
Big truth in a few lines!

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Wow, this excellent poem weaves a morality/brutality tale with a profound message- get up off your knees and fight for yourself! Do not cow-tow to the Powers That Be! Lyrical with an exotic flavor and unforgettable imagery-"Just ragged scraps now, they blew away". Kudos!

[Jeremiah N. Tarvin]

insane bit of poetry. it speaks volumes of your talent.