Said the...Demon

After a long day of tempting and mischief, two tiny, plump demons are winding down with excessive amounts of libation and a frank discussion.

We join their conversation, already in progress.

    "What is it with people and their obsession with transcendence?" slurred one demon to his inebriated cohort.

    "I mean, they're always looking to transcend something—in art, in spirit, in effort—that they completely ignore the real and precious gift that is the here and now.

    "But I guess that's actually good for us, right? I mean, it definitely makes our jobs easier, assuming they don't actually find anything. Hmmm..."

    And after a long and thoughtful pause, the demon added, "A toast, then, to those in search of transcendence — may it be the golden carrot that's always just out of reach. CHEERS!"

    The End

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

This text composition is a work of fiction. Names, places, institutions, events, incidents, characters, persons, locations, and/or organizations either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Full Creative Writing Disclaimer.

A Fortune in Lies

 

About

Chinese takeout one night came with a handful of fortune cookies. This is what mine contained (sans the keyboard).

After reading it to my wife, she quipped, "That still doesn't mean you can climb to the top of a mountain, jump off its peak and expect to fly. Plummet, yes. Fly, no." (We had a good laugh.)

Translated: You still need to know your limits, even while pushing them; otherwise, you may push yourself beyond the point of no return.

Since this fortune didn't come with an attribution (truth be told, I've only seen one that has, and it was a quote from Confucius (I kid you not)), I searched for the text (i.e., Googled it) and found that it's attributed to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a deceased French philosopher and Jesuit priest.

Who would have thought that one fortune cookie and Google could lead to so much?

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Immersed in Reflection

Why do we put pen to paper?

Why do we work and rework,
     edit and revise,
          strikethrough and scrap?

Why do we even bother
     with the written word at all,
          when we're immersed in the Great Internet Age?
               Where smartphones and e-readers,
               and texting and tweets,
               and tablets galore (some, a gore),
               and social media (all a "like"),
               are here, there, and everywhere,
               and are all the buzz and the rage.
               (But will they have grace with age?)

Because a world without paper and pen,
     without the written word,
          and without its poems, prose, and stories,
               that glide across a paper page,
                    like a cool breeze that rustles leaves,
                    and nudges clouds across a dreamer's mind,
          is no world for me,
               and may as well be
                    the tenth circle of Hell...

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Redemption

 

About

Redemption had a sign, a counter, and prizes.

Who knew?

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Today's Tendril...

To drive and be driven,
      Is what I've been given.

But to lead or be led?
     Asks the Voice in my head.

Time is but a lie,
      Yet a master still.

The equation of man,
      Bends to my will.

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Today's Tendril...

Dedicated to Monk, because he is an original (and very much so).

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Strength Everlasting

Today's Tendril...

To live and be free,
     Despite any threat.
United we stand —
     We'll never forget.

 

About

Alternate idea for the SE banner text: Wings, talons, and strength everlasting.

P.S. The font used for the SE banner text is Bleeding Cowboys. I believe this is a right-fit use of this font.

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

The King of Pause

© Copyright 2011 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.