the ship of theseus

That tiny bit of metal
that we could have used
to forge a ring
was turned into
a bullet instead

To remove it
would rupture
my aorta
so we leave it in place
and avoid
places where I'll
set off
metal detectors

Maybe that's how
androids
start though -
one automated piece
at a time
until you're more ore,
less flesh

And you're no longer lying
when asked if you have any
foreign objects
in your body
as more shrapnel
displaces any chance
of staying human