373 Quotes by Michael Ondaatje

Every night I cut out my heart. But in the morning it was full again

He knows that the only way he can accept losing her is if he can continue to hold her or be held by her. If they can somehow nurse each other out of this. Not with a wall.

Nowadays he doesn't think of his wife, though he knows he can turn around and evoke every move of her, describe any aspect of her, the weigh of her wrist on his heart during the night.

Everything that ever happened to me that was important happened in the desert.

She had always wanted words, she loved them; grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape.

She had always wanted words, she loved them, grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape. Whereas I thought words bent emotions like sticks in water.

Wenn wir jung sind, ist uns nicht so sehr die Realität unserer Lage peinlich, sondern wir fürchten uns davor, dass andere sie erkennen und darüber urteilen könnten.

Could you fall in love with her if she wasn’t smarter than you? I mean, she may not be smarter than you. But isn’t it important for you to think she is smarter than you in order to fall in love? Think now. Why is that? Because we want to know things, how the pieces fit. Talkers seduce, words direct us into corners. We want more than anything to grow and change. Brave new world.

[...] sketches of Saussure's cyanometer, which distinguished the various blues in the sky.