The Mad Puppeteer

Posted on March 1, 2021 by

35 Comments

his fingers dancing, flicking
manipulating and twirling
the strings attached
to my cracked open heart

he made it look easy

his wrist barely moved and
I fell down at his feet
his thumb lifted and
I begged his forgiveness

I’m under his spell
this mad puppeteer of my soul

what he wishes, I perform
my own pen, attached to my heart
my heart, attached to his strings
his strings, attached to his whim

I am the doll, his very thoughts
written out and counted through
a filter shaped like me
a puppet, a mirror, a twisted shadow

that’s me

he drew up a fist and
I cowered scribbling furiously
his fingers trembled and
my pages filled with his words

in the end, I’m realizing
that the marionette who is me
is as much a part of him
as he is an extension of me

tara caribou | ©2021

Another in my series of using blogger site titles or tagline as a writing prompt. The poem has no relation to the blog or blogger other than using their title (in this case, “The Mad Puppeteer”) as a prompt. I hope you enjoy!

Category: Poetry, tara caribouTags: , , , , , ,

35 Comments on “The Mad Puppeteer”

  3. I think of Mumon’s comment on the Zen story of Hyakujo’s Fox:

    “Controlled or not controlled?
    The same dice shows two faces.
    Not controlled or controlled,
    Both are a grievous error.”

    Liked by 4 people

  5. Oh, wow, this is a nice surprise! I love this little story. I am always amazed at how much feeling and how much narrative you can pack into such a short amount of words. Nicely-done.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hey thank you, sir. I wasn’t sure you’d see this one, but it’s interesting because I’ve had your blog name on my prompt list for quite a while and never could get it out until the other day when I wrote it. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Funny how things work out like that. PS: in real life; I’d love to hear the story behind the name!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, I just happened to be perusing WordPress right after you posted, and I am so glad I was! Also, you just happened to post this story on my birthday 🙂
        In real life, the name is a reference to the character Nessus in the book Ringworld. The character is a member of a race called Puppeteers, and he is referred to as being “mad” in the book because of some mental health issues he has. I identified with his character for several reasons, and some of the things he does to try and direct the other characters were metaphorical to me for things a writer does while creating a story. So, there you have it, in short!
        Anyway, again, I really enjoyed your piece, and I am so glad that my website name inspired you!

        Liked by 1 person

        • Oh man!! That’s awesome. Happy birthday, friend.

          Interestingly, I had a feeling it had to do with a book but I wasn’t placing which one. It’s been at least, oh goodness, at least 25 years since I read Ringworld, so the details are fuzzy. I do remember enjoying the book… I believe I only read that and the Engineers book after it. The library where I lived at the time didn’t have any others… you know, before e-books lol.

          Thanks for always inspiring me with your incredible storytelling.

          Liked by 1 person

        • Thank you for the birthday wishes! And thank you for inspiring me as well.

          The book was very impactful for me in several ways. A show based on the book is actually in the works, but it’s still in the very early phases of development, from my understanding.

          Liked by 1 person

        • Oh! Huh. I had no idea. I have a hard time with awesome sci-fi turned into movies/shows especially these days because they always destroy them. I refuse to watch Ender’s Game for just this reason.

          Liked by 1 person

        • I am in agreement. I’ve watched a few scenes from Ender’s Game on YouTube just out of curiosity, and I was not overly impressed. The book is just so complex and mature, and it seems like that was diluted in the movie.
          I will say, however, that I do have high hopes for the new Dune movie…

          Liked by 1 person

  6. Beautiful vivid imagery that really leaps off the page – pulls me right into the story. Great piece, Tara!

    Liked by 2 people

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