I know him, that man walking- toward me up the crowded…
““I know him, that man walking- toward me up the crowded street of the city, I have lived with him seven years now, I know his fast stride, his windy wheatfield hair, his hands thrust deep in his jacket pockets, hands that have known my body, touched its softest part, caused its quick shudders and slow releasings, I have seen his face above my face, his mouth smiling, moaning his eyes closed and opened, I have studied his eyes, the brown turning gold at the centers, I have silently watched him lying beside me in the early morning, I know his loneliness, like mine, human and sad, but different, too, his private pain and pleasure I can never enter even as he comes closer, past trees and cars, trash and flowers, steam rising from the manhole covers, gutters running with rain, he lifts his head, he sees me, we are strangers again, and a rending music of desire and loss— I don’t know him—courses through me, and we kiss and say, It’s good to see you, as if we haven’t seen each other in years when it was just a few hours ago, and we are shy, then, not knowing what to say next.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
An intimate partner is both familiar and mysterious, evoking love, loss, and longing.
In simple terms: Love blends closeness with unknown.
Key Takeaway
Cherish intimacy, accept mystery.
Themes
love
loneliness
intimacy
memory
desire
loss
Mood
nostalgic
poetic
intimate
Type
Early morning:1
Love:1
Pain and pleasure:1
Seven years:1
Know Man:1
Years Know:1
Know Loneliness:1
Sees Strangers:1
When to use this quote
- relationship counseling
- journaling
- creative writing
Key Concepts
psychology of attachment
poetic observation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does mystery add to love?
- How can you honor both familiarity and unknown?
A Different Perspective
Idealizing may ignore real issues.