Entangled Marionette

Emily Ding ‘26

This piece conveys the effects that overthinking and striving for perfection have had on me, becoming so entangled in my own head I have become paralyzed—like a puppet. Dancing on a stage for only my own standards to meet, diluted oppositions of thoughts, symbolized by collaged materials, pull me in different directions. Forever stranded in my own mindset, unable to break free, this piece reflects how my fear influences my actions as my anxiety consumes me.

as we passed by again.

my vision lies still

fixated on a half decayed corpse.

a rabbit, its legs still pumping

towards the edge of the trees.

fur graces its back, white

and matted with patches of twigs.

its dreary eyes leak red, and

my memory begins to fade,

sticks prodding its sides, as I

pray for meaning to return.

my vision lies still

in columns of novels. I hate those

yellowed pages, the words I used

to love now smearing foul ink down

my chest. I used to adore writing.

whisper into my ears once

more, and again i’ll find myself

in that disembodied voice of

yours. id have taken comfort

had there been a connection.

my vision starts to dim,

stomach begins to turn,

and the light fades,

as I stare into disembodied eyes

that wearily attempt comfort.

I open my mouth to speak,

to grasp the words in my palms,

but withered lungs wring themselves

dry of my voice. regrettably, I

breathe again, air so thick with hate.

and your chest rises as mine sinks.

Chase Csutoras ‘26

This poem represents a period of my life where I felt my creativity was completely drained. I wrote this during a particularly boring stretch of time and revised it later on, when I broke out of writer’s block. The poem explores the conflict between my desire to create and the lack of motivation I had at the time.