The Puppeteer

Listen closely, and you can hear
the scrape. A sharpened metal blade
against wood. Paring once, then again
and again.

A small step back to survey the design:

it has visual echoes of carnivals past,
where fantastical creatures imagined in
3D paraded the streets –
where you might have met a
dinosaur, one that still lies patiently
rendered in concrete.

This, here, is smaller
but no less great. Each
feature carefully engraved,
on wooden, jointed arms
and legs.

A marionette.

Twine laying slack before
the curtain rises.
Somebody needs to pull the strings,
to lift this thing, and bring it
to life.

It’s almost time.

Hear ye, hear ye,
there’s a show to be seen.
Please, take your seats:

it’s about to begin.