If ever again we happened to lose our balance, just when…
““If ever again we happened to lose our balance, just when sleepwalking through the same dream on the brink of hell’s valley, if ever the magical mare (whom I ride through the night air hollowed out into caverns and caves where wild animals live) in a crazy fit of anger over some word I might have said without the perfect sweetness that works on her like a charm, if ever the magic Mare looks over her shoulder and whinnies: “So! You don’t love me!” and bucks me off, sends me flying to the hyenas, if ever the paper ladder that I climb so easily to go pick stars for Promethea—at the very instant that I reach out my hand and it smells like fresh new moon, so good, it makes you believe in god’s genius—if ever at that very instant my ladder catches fire—because it is so fragile, all it would take is someone’s brushing against it tactlessly and all that would be left is ashes—if ever I had the dreadful luck again to find myself falling screaming down into the cruel guts of separation, and emptying all my being of hope, down to the last milligram of hope, until I am able to melt into the pure blackness of the abyss and be no more than night and a death rattle, I would really rather not be tumbling around without my pencil and paper.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
When we lose balance and fall into despair, clinging to creative tools and imagination can prevent total surrender to darkness.
In simple terms: Creativity saves us from hopelessness.
Key Takeaway
Hold onto art and imagination in crisis.
Themes
creativity
resilience
existential angst
Mood
hopeful
introspective
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- writing retreats
- art therapy
- mindfulness practice
- support groups
Key Concepts
Metaphor
dreamscape
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal “ladder” helps you rise from despair?
- How can art transform moments of existential dread?
A Different Perspective
Creative expression can be limited by external circumstances.