It didn't happen all at once
First they took my mother
I didn't feel it
she'd already left

Then they took my brother
That was harder

Then they took my land
First the mountains and crags
the elbows, the knees
then the branches and roots
the arms, the legs
all of it gone
just like that

Then came the invaders, the gropers, the raiders
they took the rest
maybe the best
How would I know?
I didn't even know it was there
I'd no time to take an inventory
I'd never seen the place

And so I became a floating head
dead
mid-air

It didn't happen all at once
But pray tell me how
rebellion
is not the right response