A Marionette Poem by Theresa Ann Moore

A figure made from dry whittled wood
Suspended by thin strings of helium
Screw eyes connecting jointed limbs
To a torso with an attached cranium

Mimicking an outward human appearance
Costumed in fabrics of conformation
Befitting a specific manner or status
Miming, able to act with dramatization

The scene is enhanced with a painted set
Opaque and deliberate to depict a location
The stage is glowing with a devised light
The audience slowly hushes with anticipation

Concepts are transformed from written scripts
A mood is created by song that is air bound…
Instrumental music pauses for projected dialogue
Amazing vocal cords speak with lungless sound

Engineered expressions are directed
By a clever puppeteer’s nimble love
The dexterous wizard from a distant sky
Guides an absorbing performance from above

Portraying a poignant range of aware feelings
Revealing problems with possible solutions
Telling a story that effectively communicates
The marionette is applauded for its contribution

3/2/08