--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know this world is far from perfect. I…" description: "\"I know this world is far from perfect. I am not the type to mistake a streetlight for the moon. I know our wounds are deep as the Atlantic. But every o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/andrea-gibson-3085_bird_i-know-this-world-is-far-from-perfect-i_2190453.png" --- # I know this world is far from perfect. I am not the type… ![“I know this world is far from perfect. I am not the type to mistake a streetlight for the moon. I know our wounds are deep as the Atlantic. But every ocean has a shoreline and every shoreline has a tide that is constantly returning to wake the songbirds in our hands, to wake the music in our…” quote by Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/andrea-gibson-3085_bird_i-know-this-world-is-far-from-perfect-i_2190453.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/andrea-gibson-3085_bird_i-know-this-world-is-far-from-perfect-i_2190453.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/andrea-gibson-3085_bird_i-know-this-world-is-far-from-perfect-i_2190453.png) > “I know this world is far from perfect. I am not the type to mistake a streetlight for the moon. I know our wounds are deep as the Atlantic. But every ocean has a shoreline and every shoreline has a tide that is constantly returning to wake the songbirds in our hands, to wake the music in our bones, to place one fearless kiss on the mouth of that new born river that has to run through the center of our hearts to find its way home.” [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) ## 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 acknowledges imperfection and deep wounds, yet sees hope in recurring cycles that revive creativity and love within us. **In simple terms:** Even in brokenness, renewal returns. Key Takeaway Embrace cycles of healing. Themes hope resilience creativity Mood reflective hopeful Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - artistic inspiration - relationship healing - grief processing Key Concepts Poetry emotional renewal Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture renewal after loss? - What cycles bring you hope? A Different Perspective Healing can be uneven and painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Fearless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearless/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Kissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [New Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-born/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Shoreline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoreline/) [Songbirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songbirds/) [Tides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tides/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Wounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounds/) ## Related quotes > [Instead of weeping when a tragedy occurs in a songbird's life, it sings away its grief. I believe we could well follow the pattern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/instead-of-weeping-when-a-tragedy-occurs-in-a-songbird-s-life-it/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Outside, you don't hear a single bird, and a deathly, oppressive silence hangs over the house and clings to me as if it were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/outside-you-don-t-hear-a-single-bird-and-a-deathly-oppressive-silence/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Your head is a living forest full of songbirds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-head-is-a-living-forest-full-of-songbirds/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fair Trade supports some of the most bio-diverse farming systems in the world. When you visit a Fair Trade coffee grower's fields, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-a-altieri/fair-trade-supports-some-of-the-most-bio-diverse-farming-systems-in/) Miguel A. Altieri > [“Like your sweet, affectionate house cat, Alice Dahl is easy to underestimate. It’s not until the songbirds in the yard show up eviscerated on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-lothlorien/like-your-sweet-affectionate-house-cat-alice-dahl-is-easy-to/) Elle Lothlorien > [“It was late afternoon, and classes were over for the day. Apple and Briar Beauty had walked to the Village of Book End to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-selfors/it-was-late-afternoon-and-classes-were-over-for-the-day-apple-and/) [Suzanne Selfors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-selfors/) > [“I did not see where the bullets were going, but little songbirds flew down from the trees, confused and worried. They perched on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daoud-hari/i-did-not-see-where-the-bullets-were-going-but-little-songbirds-flew/) [Daoud Hari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daoud-hari/) > [“We should kill them all." The words slipped out before he could stop them. "Kill them all? Why?" said Dr. Kay in surprise. ""They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/we-should-kill-them-all-the-words-slipped-out-before-he-could-stop/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [You can cage the songbird, but you can't make her sing. And you can trap the free bird, but you'll have to clip her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/you-can-cage-the-songbird-but-you-can-t-make-her-sing-and-you-can/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [My grandmother told me once that when you lose somebody you think you've lost the whole world as well, but that's not the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/my-grandmother-told-me-once-that-when-you-lose-somebody-you-think-you/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [Before you rip off three feet of toilet paper, consider that each year 500,000 acres of virgin boreal forest in northern Alberta and Ontario…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-shoumatoff/before-you-rip-off-three-feet-of-toilet-paper-consider-that-each-year/) [Alex Shoumatoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-shoumatoff/) > [Some innate capacity - some part of the human genetic endowment - enters into language acquisition. That much is uncontroversial among those who believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/some-innate-capacity-some-part-of-the-human-genetic-endowment-enters/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Shrikes were songbirds; he ought to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-meadows/shrikes-were-songbirds-he-ought-to-know/) [Jodi Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-meadows/) > [In the world outside this glass room, songbirds are feeding and resting in the trees. Some will take off tonight and not land until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-steingraber/in-the-world-outside-this-glass-room-songbirds-are-feeding-and/) [Sandra Steingraber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-steingraber/) > [“There seemed to be almost nothing left of Lalitha; she was breaking up on him the way dead songbirds did in the wild-they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/there-seemed-to-be-almost-nothing-left-of-lalitha-she-was-breaking-up/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) ## More by Andrea Gibson > [What Gods do you believe in? I'll build you a temple of mirrors so you can see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/what-gods-do-you-believe-in-i-ll-build-you-a-temple-of-mirrors-so-you/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Your ignorance keeps dismembering every piece of patience I have left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/your-ignorance-keeps-dismembering-every-piece-of-patience-i-have-left/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [If you were to press your heart close up against somebody else’s heart eventually your hearts will start beating at the same time. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/if-you-were-to-press-your-heart-close-up-against-somebody-else-s/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [You can have a cold war with yourself, even in the summertime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/you-can-have-a-cold-war-with-yourself-even-in-the-summertime/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Yesterday i carved your name into the surface of an ice cube then held it against my chest til it melted into my aching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/yesterday-i-carved-your-name-into-the-surface-of-an-ice-cube-then/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Forests may be gorgeous but there is nothing more alive than a tree that learns how to grow in a cemetery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/forests-may-be-gorgeous-but-there-is-nothing-more-alive-than-a-tree/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [“Our hearts beat so loud the neighbours think we’re fucking when I’m just trying to find the nerve to touch your face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/our-hearts-beat-so-loud-the-neighbours-think-we-re-fucking-when-i-m/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Hey, are you a boy or a — never mind, can I have a push on the swing?” And some day, y’all, when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/hey-are-you-a-boy-or-a-never-mind-can-i-have-a-push-on-the-swing-and/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Last night I saw your ghost pedalling a bicycle with a basket towards a moon as full as my heavy head and I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/last-night-i-saw-your-ghost-pedalling-a-bicycle-with-a-basket-towards/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [“I am living today as someone I had not yet become yesterday And tonight I'll only borrow pieces of who I am today To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/i-am-living-today-as-someone-i-had-not-yet-become-yesterday-and/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [If you’re handing out flashlights in the dark, start handing out stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/if-you-re-handing-out-flashlights-in-the-dark-start-handing-out-stars/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [“And if there’s one thing in this world I’ve ever known for sure, it’s that this girl is gonna crush me like a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/and-if-there-s-one-thing-in-this-world-i-ve-ever-known-for-sure-it-s/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Sometimes the most healing thing to do is remind ourselves over and over and over, other people feel this too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/sometimes-the-most-healing-thing-to-do-is-remind-ourselves-over-and/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [“I wrote too many poems in a language I did not yet know how to speak But I know now it doesn't matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/i-wrote-too-many-poems-in-a-language-i-did-not-yet-know-how-to-speak/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) > [Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they're falling like they're falling in love with the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/autumn-is-the-hardest-season-the-leaves-are-all-falling-and-they-re/) [Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) [Explore all 140 Andrea Gibson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/) ## More Bird quotes > [And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/and-i-have-been-very-blessed-having-coached-some-of-the-greatest-that/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [Set the bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in thesky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/set-the-bird-s-wings-with-gold-and-it-will-never-again-soar-in-thesky/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“He unfixes the metal notch and slips his hand around the body of the bird. Feels its heat, its small heart beating. He stares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-schuyler/he-unfixes-the-metal-notch-and-slips-his-hand-around-the-body-of-the/) Nina Schuyler > [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/) [Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [When they started to drain a swamp where birds and fish had lived, for a new housing development down the road from his apartment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maile-meloy/when-they-started-to-drain-a-swamp-where-birds-and-fish-had-lived-for/) [Maile Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maile-meloy/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Real like sucks the life out of losers. if you want to fuck with the eagles, you must learn how to fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-like-sucks-the-life-out-of-losers-if-you-want-to-fuck-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If we studied birds ,maybe we could learn to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/if-we-studied-birds-maybe-we-could-learn-to-be-free/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) [Browse all 4,802 Bird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know this world is far from perfect. 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