In Silent Passage - Text and Visual Art by Chris DeRobertis (Dero): 2012

// Monday, December 31, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Do you make New Year's resolutions?

Or, do you embrace January first as you did December thirty-first – already resolute in your faith, ethics, and dreams?

// Sunday, December 30, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Optimist: It's nearly 2013 and the world hasn't ended!

Pessimist: Don't worry. There's still time.

// Saturday, December 29, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Clarity cannot be seen
      through the twilight of a black veil,
            from behind the warm glow of stained glass,
                  within the undifferentiated fog of intoxication.

Heart of an Artist (Visual Remix 2012)

For the original version, select the following link: Heart of an Artist.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

// Friday, December 28, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Ceremony, ritual, and pomp-and-circumstance are distractions, at best, and shackles of dogma, at worst.

// Thursday, December 27, 2012

Today's Tendril...

"Ignore the nibbling," said the piranha to the foolish wader. "It's nothing personal."

// Monday, December 24, 2012

One Christmas Eve,
When I was a young boy,
I tried to stay awake
To catch a glimpse of Santa Claus
     Sail across a starry sky.

But the Sandman was stronger than my will,
And I fell asleep,
     Santa cap and all,
On folded arms,
     On the cool window sill
          Of my cozy little bedroom.

I didn't see Santa that night,
But I dreamt of a majestic reindeer,
With antlers of silver and gold,
Walking proudly through powdered snow,
     Towards a blue-white light
          That twinkled just above the horizon,
While the Moon's midnight rays softly rang,
     Like bells and chimes
          Being played,
          By the wind,
          Using only
             The feathers of angels.

One Christmas Eve (c) Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved. insilentpassage.com

About

An unused tendril to the vignette: At one point the reindeer stopped, turned his head, and gently nodded.

The accompanying image is based on a photograph of a shadow of a Christmas decoration.

One morning the sunlight hit the decoration just right and the shadow on the wall became the shadow of a story.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

The 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.

// Saturday, December 22, 2012

A Daydreamer's Bucket List

Create tornadoes the size of spinning tops and hold them in the palms of my hands
Fly — under my own power
At will, turn my eyes entirely white, then make them glow
Take a nap — on the Moon
Pluck clouds from the sky and eat them
Step into a mirror and explore the other side
Make an origami dragon come to life and then go on adventures with it
Discover lost verses to the Book of Revelations
Spend a few nights in a little cottage on the Island of Misfit Toys
Finally catch a rainbow

Mim'ith

// Friday, December 21, 2012

Today's Tendril

Each orchestra, band, symphony, and choir is like an ant colony or a beehive.

Each organism within the colony or hive is but a part of the whole and each organism has a specific role.

// Thursday, December 20, 2012

Awakened

     "Awaken," said the sandman to the dream.

     "Leave me alone," said the groggy dream.

     "But it is your time and I have already sprinkled you with sand," said the sandman.

     "I mustn't," said the dream.

     "Mustn't what," asked the sandman.

     "Wake up," said the dream. "I must stay asleep. Forever."

     "But why," asked the sandman, perplexed and concerned.

     "I'm afraid," said the dream.

     "Afraid of what," asked the sandman.

     "Afraid that I might become – a nightmare," said the dream.

     The sandman said to the dream, with a warm and comforting smile, "Do not be afraid, little dream. It is not your place to decide to be a horror or a delight; to be joy or sorrow. You will become only that which your creator needs you to be. Thus, if it is your purpose to become a brilliant rainbow, or the sweetness of a lover's kiss, then so shall you be. If it is your purpose to become a hungry werewolf, or a hollow-eyed ghost with glowing tendrils, then so shall you be. That is the nature of dreams."

     "B-b-but what about what I want," asked the dream, on the verge of tears.

     "Unfortunately, little one, what you want is not relevant," said the sandman. "What you need to be is all that matters. It is the way of things since time immemorial. And neither you nor I can change the way of things.

     "Now, my reluctant little dream friend, it is time for you to fulfill your destiny. Rise and become the story that will be remembered long into tomorrow, and possibly for a lifetime."

     The End

About

Why do some dreams linger well into the daylight, while others are forgotten moments after breakfast?

This vignette has nothing to do with DC Comics' Sandman series.

© Copyright 2012 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.

Today's Tendril...

Sometimes it's not enough to "think outside the box."

Sometimes you just have to make your own box.

// Saturday, December 15, 2012

Real, for a Moment

Today's Tendril...

Doom is temporary.

Despair is eternal.

// Sunday, December 09, 2012

Fallen (Verity)

About

Leaves, ice, and the plain truth, all colored by the imagination.

I am dust and unto dust shall I return. (Genesis 3:19)

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Rhyme and Reason

     The breakup came as a surprise to Edward. He thought things had been going well, as in take-the-relationship-to-the-next-level well. Obviously, he was wrong. Really wrong.

     And no matter how many times he went over things in his head, like a detective at a crime scene, Edward couldn't pinpoint exactly where, when, and why the love had gone south.

     So Edward walked and thought, clinging desperately to the notion that where there's a rhyme, there must be a reason. And the more he walked, the more he thought. And the more he thought, the more he walked.

     At some point Edward found himself wandering around the local zoo, staring blankly at the carnivores in their cages.

     Too bad he didn't live in a town that had a zoo.

     And too bad he didn't notice that the gate to one of the cages was slightly ajar.

     The End

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Three Tendrils for Today

When the Sun loses its horizon,
    and only sky diamonds dot the heavens,
memories become tears and scars,
    until nothing remains,
       except columns of ice
          of a species
             not made to last.

Are you driven by demons or driven by angels?

Either way, the clapping of their wings is the thunder—and the fury—in your head.

When you kick God out of your heart, who do you think fills the void?

// Saturday, December 08, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Steppingstones — you don't know how much they mean to a journey until you look back and see how far they've taken you.

// Friday, December 07, 2012

When Worlds Collide

     The night watchman at a public library was doing his midnight rounds when he turned a corner and came upon a rather pale and drawn fellow carrying a stack of encyclopedias.

     "This is not what I expected," said the ghost.

     "Neither did I," said the human.

     And with eyes wide and arms raised, watchman and ghost went screaming into the night.

     Neither returned to the library ever again.

     The End

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Thoughts (Additional Tendrils Version)

Thoughts

Today's Tendril...

Hope is a subtle type of rebellion.

As is a knowing smile.

// Thursday, December 06, 2012

Today's Tendril...

To isolate yourself is a choice.

To be isolated by others is no choice at all.

// Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Just For Fun 4: Escher-esque

Have You Heard?

Rumors are tiny magical creatures that are kept in the lockboxes of our mouths.

Unfortunately, rumors are prone to escape, because we (their keepers) cannot control the urge to share their magic with others (reckless though that sharing may be).

And once those wily, restless beings pass through the gates of our lips, they can never be boxed again.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Today's Tendril...

Balance, like Big Foot, is elusive.

// Monday, December 03, 2012

Today's Tendril...

No tornado is on the ground forever — except the one on the plains of our hearts, minds, and souls.

// Sunday, December 02, 2012

Today's Tendril...

A blank page isn't empty — only lonely.

// Saturday, December 01, 2012

In Silent Passage is Live!

www.insilentpassage.com is live!

@insilentpassage is live!

Want to know what happened to my previous site, Tags and Tendrils (tagsandtendrils.com), and its related Twitter account, @tagsandtendrils? Find out in the FAQs section.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

// Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Today's Tendril...

When God gives you a fighting chance, you don’t take a dive.

// Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Today's Tendril...

You cannot pull the wool over God's eyes.

// Monday, October 08, 2012

Today's Tendril...

In war there are many sides: inside, outside, their side, our side, good side, bad side, and three sides to every story.

// Sunday, October 07, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Expansion for the sake of occupying more space is nothing but greed.

// Saturday, October 06, 2012

Today's Tendril...

As the leaves of Autumn fall around me, I place a little piece of the day's worries upon their backs, and watch them become lost among the thousands of worries already on the ground.

// Friday, October 05, 2012

Today's Tendril...

"Finished" is a state of relativity.

// Thursday, October 04, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Some handle sadness with food,
   some with seclusion or withdrawal,
      and some foolishly (and destructively) self-medicate.

I turn to paper and pen and write,
   until the sadness wanders of the page,
      and is no more.

// Monday, September 24, 2012

Today's Tendril...

The stew of sixty-second hindsight is always simmering in the cauldron of the mind.

// Sunday, September 23, 2012

Tendrils 16: Then and Now

A selection of Tendrils from the past and the present.

Sin is a house of cards.

Conscience is a wrecking ball.

2022 Remix

Sin is a house of cards.

Conscience is a wrecking ball.

Time is the operator.

It's hard to be grey in a rainbow world.

2022 Remix

It's hard to be gray in a rainbow world.

So shades of gray will have to do.

(Shades of gray for me and you.)

The trouble with deciding between the lesser of two evils is that you're dealing with the Devil either way.

2022 Remix

The trouble with deciding between the lesser of two evils is that you're dealing with the Devil either way.

And the Devil gives no quarter.

Not unless it's to the Devil's benefit.

A good dreamer doesn't exhaust his possibilities. He is exhausted by them.

2022 Remix

A good dreamer doesn't exhaust his possibilities. A good dreamer is exhausted by them.

Then the dreamer must rest.

And sleep.

And dream.

Then awaken — to the possibilities.

And begin again.

Q: What is successful multitasking?

A: Jumping among the middles of several things.

Q: What is unsuccessful multitasking?

A: Missing the middles and landing in the drink.

The firing line only matters when the bullets are real.

The snow dies.
    The God-green springs to life.
        Layers are shed.
            Hope loses its gray.
                Circles and cycles are here to stay.

In order of appearance, Tendril 1 from "A Batch of Tendrils," (Copyright 2012 C.V. DeRobertis), Tendril 2 from "Tendrils: Variations on a Grey Theme," (Copyright 2011 C.V. DeRobertis), Tendril 3 from "Tendrils 11," (Copyright 2010 C.V. DeRobertis), Tendril 4 from "Today's Tendril...," (Copyright 2009 C.V. DeRobertis), Tendrils 5-7 Copyright 2012 C.V. DeRobertis, "2022 Remix" remixes in Tendrils 1-4 Copyright 2022 C.V. DeRobertis

Updated 20220721

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

// Thursday, September 20, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Warming up? thought the coach. More like winding down.

Last place has its detractors, both from the outside looking in and from the inside looking out.

// Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Sometimes an empty belly and a full heart are good for the soul.

// Sunday, September 16, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Beyond the orbits of man, there is the gravity of God.

// Friday, August 31, 2012

The Clouds I Saw Today...

A fire breathing turtle
A short-nosed alligator
A bell-shaped UFO
A disc, massive and dark, with nipples
Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas

A Prayer, of Sorts

As I prepare for my final decline,
I already know which way the wind will blow,
So I bow my head in quiet resolve,
and ask the Lord for a final nod.

About

What melancholy feels like, and thinking about an elsewhere, an elsewhen, and an elsewho.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Tendrils 15: Musings and Odd Angles

Sin is a house of cards.

Conscience is a wrecking ball.

What is a nightmare?

A subconscious scream in search of a voice.

Destiny is a haunted dream that repeats itself with the same ghosts, though the settings and the scenes are never the same.

Q: What is grey, grouchy, and a force to be reckoned with?

A: A constipated rhino!

Just because there isn't a cross around my neck doesn't mean there isn't one in my heart.

No turning point ever comes without a price—and a battle with a mirror.

Impulse is like a lightning bolt — it arrives without warning, leaves a permanent mark, and disappears without a trace before you realize that it's not wise to be outside when a storm is overhead.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

// Saturday, August 18, 2012

Today''s Tendril...

Don't be a lighthouse in search of a ship.

// Sunday, August 05, 2012

A Bedtime Lesson

A bedtime lesson, already in progress...

   "What do you see, my son?"

   "All the world, father."

   "And?"

   "Dreams."

   "Very good, my child. Very good."

With that, the page was turned, father and son eager to see how the story ends.

Dedicated to my wife, children, and Notebook Brother.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Today's Tendril...

Don't be an itch in search of a scratch.

// Saturday, August 04, 2012

Give It Some Thought

In a backyard somewhere and somewhen, a question has been posed and a reply about to be given...

    "You want to know my purpose? Well, my purpose, if it ever were clear, escapes me now, here in your web," said the fly to the spider.

    "Come, come, now. Something must come to mind, given the gravity of your situation," replied the spider, gently plucking the gossamers, like an angel playing a harp.

    "Nope. Nothing. I got nothing," said the fly.

    "Really," said the spider in utter disbelief. "Not a single thing?"

    "Nada," said the fly, a slight shrug delivered with the word.

    The spider heaved a heavy sigh, deeply disappointed with the little fly.

    No depth, thought the spider. No understanding. Not a light bulb to be seen.

    "You know what," said the spider. "I've lost my appetite."

    With that the spider did an about-face and left.

    As soon as the spider was out of sight, a sparrow swooped down and ate the fly.

The End

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

// Thursday, August 02, 2012

Metal Day 11.11.11

About

Thinking about "Metal Day 11.11.11" in the weeks following the event inspired this piece. In particular, I wanted to do something based on a popular Metal emoticon, "\m/\m/".

Metal Day helped raise awareness to Metal music as an art form (and it is an art form), a discipline, and a deep expression of the self.

Soundtrack

If this image had a soundtrack, then it would come from Iced Earth, Devin Townsend, Dream Theater, Pantera, Metallica (pre Load), Megadeth, Crimson Glory, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Dragonforce, Gamma Ray, Helloween, Kamelot, Nevermore, Symphony X, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Primal Fear, Demon Hunter, Fates Warning, John Arch, Arch/Matheos Queensryche, Tony MacAlpine, Stryper, Amaranthe, Klay Scott's Metal moments, Jeff Loomis, Charred Walls of the Damned, Judas Priest, Halford, David T. Chastain, Chastain (band), Living Sacrifice, Deliverance (Jimmy P. Brown II), Testament, Ozzy, Rainbow, Dio, Vicious Rumors, Apocrypha, Soilwork, Perfect Symmetry, Savatage, TNT, Iron Maiden, Into Eternity, Fifth Angel, Toxik (Think This), Anthrax, and many more, past and present.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Today's Tendril...

If you spend more time attempting and trying than completing, then you've hit a wall.

About

// Saturday, July 28, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Churn is a path to progress, if you're willing to wait it out.

// Saturday, July 21, 2012

Today's Tendril...

Creative souls can take the detritus of the mind and transform it into a new whole.

So Flows

Listening to the rhythms of the rain...

And with each beat,
A little more pain
Marches its way
To a pool
In my mind,
Fed by the rain,
And drowns.

Rain, rain, don't go away,
'Till my pain
Has lost its grey.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Said the... Leaf

Said the little red leaf to the big leaf, "Your yellow appears to be contagious."

About

Its cousin: Both Ways.

Pictures for both "Said the... Leaf" and "Both Ways" were taken on the same walk.

It was a very good leaf season.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

// Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Postage Not Included

About

// Saturday, May 26, 2012

Today's Tendril...

When there's no sin left to name,
no grinning demon left to blame,
The living lost will curse their ways,
and suffer through their final days...

Original Version

When there is no sin left to name, we will be in the Final Days...

Today's Tendril...

For all the things we seek in this world,
it is our minds that we lose along the way.

// Saturday, March 03, 2012

State of Unrest

The roar of the wind,
     As it cuts East to West,
Bending trees to its will,
     A lovely state of unrest.

Not a bird to be seen,
    Not a cloud in the sky,
The Sun slowly wanes,
     Tranquility draws nigh.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.

Today's Tendril...

What parents already know about children:

They are to be cherished
They are challenges, and, all too soon, they challenge
There are always chores

// Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Face of Evil

About

A little thing, from a page, imagined, written, captured, and processed one night, then finalized the next day.

Literal and suggestive.

Visual and textual.

Simple and complex.

© Copyright 2012 Christopher V. DeRobertis. All rights reserved.