The Puppeteer

Carefully, meticulously, I attach strings to my puppets and teach them how to dance.

I already know that some of my flock will be more popular with my audience than others; these are the chosen ones who will cause eyes to widen and mouths to shape into 'Os'. But still, I must allow space and stage time for the duller members of the troop, the rent-a-crowd, the puppets whose mere presence is required in order to allow the chosen ones to shine.

Sometimes of course, for reasons unknown, a small and ineffectual puppet will catch the audiences hearts, or perhaps their minds, and step forward to become the unexpected star of the show. I enjoy these situations but I can't profess to understand them. But who am I to decide on the appeal of the puppets that I create, and lead, and mold, and command?

For no-one sees me, out of sight behind the scenes.

The reality is that my role is largely anonymous and wholly divergent as each individual member of the audience embraces the puppets, both the stars and the add-ins, in their own unique way. And it is a concrete, set-in-stone fact, that some will not, will never, enjoy the show at all.

For I am a puppeteer of words and this is my story.