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I have wished you dead and myself dead. How could it be…

“I have wished you dead and myself dead. How could it be otherwise. I have broken into you like a burglar. And you've set your dogs on me. And a pile of broken sticks. A child could kick. I have climbed you like a monument, gasoing, For the exercise and the view, And leaned over the railing at the…” quote by Alicia Ostriker
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“I have wished you dead and myself dead. How could it be otherwise. I have broken into you like a burglar. And you've set your dogs on me. And a pile of broken sticks. A child could kick. I have climbed you like a monument, gasoing, For the exercise and the view, And leaned over the railing at the top... Strong and warm, the summer wind.”

Alicia Ostriker

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker expresses a paradoxical longing for mutual destruction, reflecting deep emotional turmoil and a sense of being trapped in a hostile relationship.

In simple terms: A desire for shared demise shows intense inner conflict.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address toxic relational patterns.

Themes

despair conflict intimacy violence

Mood

melancholic intense

Type

poetic confessional

When to use this quote

  • relationship breakdown
  • personal crisis
  • emotional catharsis
  • mental health therapy

Key Concepts

psychology existentialism self‑destruction

Questions to Reflect On

  • What fuels this desire for shared ruin?
  • How can one find healthier ways to express anguish?
A Different Perspective

Mutual destruction may not resolve underlying pain.

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