Creeper (revisited)

[Christopher Stewart]

("Two portraits of Ryogen" - Author Unknown - copyright holder is Kiemon Tsuruya)

« Creeper » is an allegory wherein destructive mental processes are compared to creeping plants. The piece depicts four stages of a confrontation between creeper and host : introduction, growth, conquest, and extinction.

The audio clip presents the introduction and verses. As the lyrics suggest, the creeper really represents insidious suggestion, worry, negativity, or doubt, which are generally rooted in ignorance or craving and can act as magnets to weird experiences when pursued intently.

Insidious suggestion
Difficult to contain
Tendency to worry
Threatening to bloom in pain

Stemming up from a doubt
Burgeoning from a no
Better sever the sprout
Or a vine could follow

Creative energy – Unleashed upon itself
Subtle adversary – Not yet under control
Creative energy – Cynical of itself
Unforeseen enemy - Between here and the goal

Coming back from the past
Sinister memory
Craving for attention
The voice of gravity

Surely as it will rise
Before long, paralyse
Surely as it will grow
In a spiral, down you go

Creative energy – Unleashed upon itself
Subtle adversary – Not yet under control
Creative energy – Cynical of itself
Unforeseen enemy – Between here and the goal