THE CITY OF BURDEN
AND OF THE BURDENED
COMPLAIN.
Before you can stop yourself you exclaim,
“I’m tired of mutton!
What else do you have?!”
Expectant silence hangs
“We have only what we have.”
“With what I’m paying?
You can afford it,”
You snap haughtily,
“It’s not fair!”
You can hear your Keeper breathing
Behind the mask
The lifeless eyes betraying nothing
After a pause
She speaks
“There’s nothing fair about our being here
There’s nothing fair about choosing who dies.
Sacrifices have been made
Sacrifices are made everyday
That you might live...
I can say no more.”
Her eyes dart
Pursuing something just beyond her reach
“I’ve often wondered what we did
To deserve the privilege of the Tower
And why such a pious city
Would deserve the Contagion
Perhaps you should reflect on it over dinner”
With that the slat shuts
You are alone with your thoughts
And you are embarrassed
As you watch the sunset over the bay
You’ve lost your appetite