“To you, we puppets seem less
than live, because our consciousness
is that of dummies, made to sit
on laps of gods as we mouth their wit

Are you, our makers and lords,
likewise dangled from invisible cords,
with your gift of showing spontaneous charm,
some higher god's inserted arm?

We seem to form a nested set,
with each the next one's marionette,
so whom among you will insist,
that you're the last ventriloquist?”

~ T. Melnechuk