Skip to content

Give me bullet power. Give me power over angels. Even when…

“Give me bullet power. Give me power over angels. Even when you’re standing up you look like you’re lying down, but will you let me kiss your neck, baby? Do I have to tie your arms down? Do I have to stick my tongue in your mouth like the hand of a thief, like a burglary like it’s just another…” quote by Richard Siken
Download Open image
““Give me bullet power. Give me power over angels. Even when you’re standing up you look like you’re lying down, but will you let me kiss your neck, baby? Do I have to tie your arms down? Do I have to stick my tongue in your mouth like the hand of a thief, like a burglary like it’s just another petty theft? It makes me tired, Henry. Do you see what I mean? Do you see what I’m getting at? You swallowing matches and suddenly I’m yelling Strike me. Strike anywhere. I swear, I end up feeling empty, like you’ve taken something out of me, and I have to search my body for the scars, thinking Did he find that one last tender place to sink his teeth in? I know you want me to say it, Henry, it’s in the script, you want me to say Lie down on the bed, you’re all I ever wanted and worth dying for too but I think I’d rather keep the bullet this time. It’s mine, you can’t have it, see, I’m not giving it up. This way you still owe me, and that’s as good as anything.””

Richard Siken

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 desperate need for control and intimacy, using violent imagery to convey emotional emptiness and longing.

In simple terms: Desire for control and intimacy expressed through violent metaphor.

Key Takeaway

Seek healthy ways to express desire and vulnerability.

Themes

desire control intimacy violence

Mood

intense conflicted

Type

poetic dramatic

When to use this quote

  • relationship tension
  • artistic expression
  • personal crisis

Key Concepts

psychological conflict emotional emptiness

Questions to Reflect On

  • What non‑violent ways can you communicate desire?
  • How does powerlessness shape intimacy?
A Different Perspective

Violent metaphors can obscure genuine emotional needs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Richard Siken

Explore all 115 Richard Siken quotes

More Bullet quotes

Browse all 493 Bullet quotes