A Couple’s Emotional Upgrade

One fine day, Norm and Liz had a mind
to upgrade their lives and to find
   a chip for the brain
   for more peace and less strain
and to get their personas aligned.

They went to a clinic devoted
to upgrading humans, promoted
   the latest devices
   at rock-bottom prices,
which Norman and Liz duly noted.
  
A tech-enhanced life? So much finer!
Norm would quit being such a glum whiner
   while Liz would be less
   of a fierce lioness
defending all things that define ’er.

They also were able to pick
some hardware that looked really slick.
   Norm came away
   with buttons that day,
while Lizzie chose dials that click.

Norm had reset while Lizzie had pause —
two cyborgs without any flaws.
   As Norm pushed a button
   all angst became nuttin’,
exceeding all natural laws.

Liz, wearing a spirited smile,
started turning her delicate dial,
   adjusting her moods
   and entrenched attitudes
to “contentment” (which lingered awhile.)

But their switches were getting so busy
they were making the couple quite dizzy.
   Norm was starting to panic.
   No puter mechanic
could free the poor pair from their tizzy.

Then, when Lizzie’s “rigidity” setting
malfunctioned, she found herself fretting.
   “I just want some space!”
   she thought, but no trace
of courage was left. She was sweating.

Their systems all crashed like the breakers
that lash the seashore. They were fakers
   with their cyborgish features,
   these curious creatures,
this pair who became self-forsakers.

They went back to the clinic, and so
got their chips out and got back their dough.
   Liz made her own dial.
   Norm started to smile
and said, “We can run our own show!”