I watched as those that reflected on the
darkness, thinking I was about to be
obscured within oblivion, but can you
keep a secret that no one knows?

"I was on the dark side of your dream,

Oblivion is a black hole within me...
I absorbed the light, not only that
but the obscurity of light is alive!
Within me... see my shadow in the dark places...

They thought that it was shade,
but shadows move? Have you ever noticed that?
I weave within luminosity but feed upon you
when it lingers in hibernation.

Radiance is a puppet of oblivion, we let it linger,
have its say, make it feel that there is nothing
without darkness. But have you ever suffocated
light? It’s simple, turn it off and what, oblivion.

I let it have its motions, thinking it takes a stand.
But all light fades, and then there is only me.
I'm not inanimate, I'm consciousness and I'm
looking at you in the light, oblivion smiles.....

I'm a boy made out of wood
And with you I know I could
Be painted better than I am now
To befriend an artist like you somehow
My hair and shoes are made of clay
Molded carelessly, messy, you'd say
Fix me, bend me, make me new
But please don't make me into you
Someone made me, someone great
But made of wood, I know my fate
Will be met in a fire, so easy to catch
For I know I'll fall in love with a match.

O'blessed Darkness cover me
Blanket the rushing words & flashing blurs;
The disjointed fragments of blinking walls,
Lights crashing off and on,
Blue, red, green-the marionettes dancing,
So many together and all alone.
It is all a show.

The hiccup of life, the vomiting dream.
I see my life before me;

A slush of goo,
The stink of this world,
Or is that the scallops & escargot?
What have you done to me?

Everything I do myself-
This dream, this life...
Why do I hurt myself so?

Punching mirrors, ***** on porcelain.
Dark, thick-
My throne for many minutes...

Time ticking, time ticking-
I was unaware.
My wooden box was silent,
My wooden life is tragic.

The voices through the walls,
Through the fog and haze-
You okay? You okay? You okay?

I croak a positive.
I have no steady legs-
When have I ever?
I have no:
stable brain
clear thought
decisive moment
steady action
fruitful journey-
All slipping through my fingers...
Like the vomitous goo of tonight.

Everything we have, we lose.
Owning anything is an illusion.
Holding on is meaningless.

I want to go home.

(Everything is nothing)

I want to go home

(there is no sense in anything)

i want to go home.

Please, hold me now.

*©Lesley Wood

Pulled by my puppet strings,
Not a human just a thing.
And look at all these stitches
Caused by all these... heh.

This permanent doll face,
Slaughtered with a smile.
Even in pain
I'll grin all the while.

Painted black eyes
Meant to see, but I am blind.
Tell me is it pitiful
To not know the concept of "kind".

Pardon my bad manners,
I know I must obey.
It's either good or bad, black or white
Nothing is considered gray.

This porcelain skin
Chipped away, chipped away.
I cannot guarantee  on this earth
I shall stay.

These knots and bonds are breaking.
Am I reaching my limit?
Oh no! I'm becoming a crippled heap,
Utterly useless.

Yes, I have a soul,
But it differs with my body.
Can't take control
My limbs are quite cocky.

Take your aim and shoot.
Don't you worry about ceasing fire.
My brain won't fully comprehend it anyway
Because my sanity's about to expire.

Alone in my aura.
The gasoline is lit.
Hope you like my present
All you pieces of... heh.


This permanent doll face,
Slaughtered with a smile.
Even in pain
I'll grin all the while.

Puppet, puppet,
dance to my whim.
Squirm under string,
and bend to my will.

Puppet, puppet,
hear my call.
Listen only to my word,
and never anything more.

Puppet, puppet,
ever breaking.
Your strings will snap,
and you will fall.

Puppet, puppet,
where have you gone?
Who am I
without my marionette?

Puppeteer, puppeteer,
where did you
get your strings?
who do you dance for?

She ties strings around my joints
And controls all my motions.
When her finger points,
I have to be in position.

With her push and her pull,
My helpless body moves.
I'm under her rule;
She makes all my grooves.

I have no right to speak;
She's the only one with the voice.
Not even a squeak;
I don't have any choice.

“Do this” and “do that,”
She commands me like a ***.
With just a snap, just like that.
If only I could run.

How much I envy little Pinocchio.
He was once a puppet who turned into a real boy.
I am no puppet, I know.
I am human, but being manipulated like a toy.

I wonder if my life
And all of its things
Is held up by
A set of strings
It just seems to me
That every day
Someone else
Is deciding my ways
I wonder if
I am really me
Or if someone else
Decides who I'll be

And I wonder if
I'll lose this bet
And remain
A marionette
I wonder if
I should be this way
Or if it's better
To break away

What I wonder most
In all of these things
Who is the one
Pulling these strings
Is it someone close
Or a large crowd
That keeps me from saying
What I wish to aloud

And I wonder if
I'll lose this bet
And remain
A marionette
I wonder if
I should be this way
Or if it's better
To break away

If I break these strings
Will I crash as I fall
Or will I learn
To fly above it all

And I wonder if
I'll lose this bet
And remain
A marionette
I wonder if
I should be this way
Or if it's better
To break away

even when i am winged
i am benign,
i am beginning.
walking with my feet tied
so loosely to the concrete
by puppet strings;
made of words & cream
& other fragile things not
to be touched,
only to dream.
a marionette trembling
with grabby fingers pulling & drooling
oil onto my chest -
heavy, but it will leave me
slick not sticky,
ready for the finale.