--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a small balcony here, the door is…" description: "\"There's a small balcony here, the door is open and I can see the lights of the cars on the Harbor Freeway south, they never stop, that roll of lights, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/charles-bukowski-73_balconies_there-s-a-small-balcony-here-the-door-is_2523519.jpg" --- # There's a small balcony here, the door is open and I can… ![“There's a small balcony here, the door is open and I can see the lights of the cars on the Harbor Freeway south, they never stop, that roll of lights, on and on. All those people. What are they doing? What are they thinking? We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make…” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/charles-bukowski-73_balconies_there-s-a-small-balcony-here-the-door-is_2523519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/charles-bukowski-73_balconies_there-s-a-small-balcony-here-the-door-is_2523519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/charles-bukowski-73_balconies_there-s-a-small-balcony-here-the-door-is_2523519.jpg) > “There's a small balcony here, the door is open and I can see the lights of the cars on the Harbor Freeway south, they never stop, that roll of lights, on and on. All those people. What are they doing? What are they thinking? We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't.” [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator observes endless traffic lights and wonders about strangers’ lives, feeling that mortality should foster love, yet it doesn’t. **In simple terms:** Observes city life, questions humanity, notes lack of compassion despite shared fate. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy despite life’s chaos. Themes urban life mortality human connection existential angst Mood melancholic observational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - busy streets - night drives - personal monologue Key Concepts alienation shared destiny social observation Questions to Reflect On - How can we turn awareness of death into compassion? - What actions can break the “circus” of indifference? A Different Perspective People often ignore shared mortality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balconies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balconies/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Cars Harbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cars-harbor-1273577/) [Circus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circus/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Harbor Freeway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harbor-freeway-1273576/) [Harbors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harbors/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lights/) [Lights Cars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lights-cars-1273575/) [Lights People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lights-people-1273574/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“We went up the Harbor freeway north and then we cut onto the San Diego freeway north. I hated the San Diego freeway. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/we-went-up-the-harbor-freeway-north-and-then-we-cut-onto-the-san/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Musicians keep playing when the lights go out, when people are suffering, confused, or angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/musicians-keep-playing-when-the-lights-go-out-when-people-are/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [“The evenings were the worst. 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You could either turn it to AUTO, in which case the awning lowered itself whenever the sun came out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-switch-had-two-settings-you-could-either-turn-it-to-auto-in-which/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I do an opening in 'The Glory of the World' play at BAM, and then I go up to the high balcony in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-oldham/i-do-an-opening-in-the-glory-of-the-world-play-at-bam-and-then-i-go/) [Will Oldham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-oldham/) > [...you must play for the little fellow in the last row of the balcony who only has fifty cents to pay for a ticket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-tabuteau/you-must-play-for-the-little-fellow-in-the-last-row-of-the-balcony/) [Marcel Tabuteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-tabuteau/) > [I love to walk through the streets of Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre. The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [I’ll be back tomorrow,” he said, “at nine o’clock. Don’t open your door to anyone else.” “Not even my balcony door?” “Especially not your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/i-ll-be-back-tomorrow-he-said-at-nine-o-clock-don-t-open-your-door-to/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [It's an enormous amount of work: there are 28 separate buildings, and I work on the choice of the colors for everything. Outside colors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hench/it-s-an-enormous-amount-of-work-there-are-28-separate-buildings-and-i/) [John Hench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hench/) > [I climbed down the outside of a Holiday Inn once just to surprise one of my crew by getting on his balcony and knocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/i-climbed-down-the-outside-of-a-holiday-inn-once-just-to-surprise-one/) [Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/) ## More by Charles Bukowski > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“There is only one place to write and that is alone at a typewriter. A writer who has to go into the streets is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-only-one-place-to-write-and-that-is-alone-at-a-typewriter-a/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“nerves twitching in the sheets -- to face the sunlight again, that's clearly trouble. 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People with no morals often considered themselves more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/strangers-when-you-meet-strangers-when-you-part-a-gymnasium-of-bodies/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I was like a turd that drew flies instead of like a flower that butterflies and bees desired. I wanted to live alone,I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-was-like-a-turd-that-drew-flies-instead-of-like-a-flower-that/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [It's 4:30 in the morning, it's always 4:30 in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/it-s-4-30-in-the-morning-it-s-always-4-30-in-the-morning/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I had no feeling for the things so many others needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-had-no-feeling-for-the-things-so-many-others-needed/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I went home each night dizzy and sick. He was murdering me with the sound of his voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-went-home-each-night-dizzy-and-sick-he-was-murdering-me-with-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [“the nights you fight best are when all the weapons are pointed at you, when all the voices hurl their insults while the dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-nights-you-fight-best-are-when-all-the-weapons-are-pointed-at-you/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Explore all 1,492 Charles Bukowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) ## More Balconies quotes > [I climbed down the outside of a Holiday Inn once just to surprise one of my crew by getting on his balcony and knocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/i-climbed-down-the-outside-of-a-holiday-inn-once-just-to-surprise-one/) [Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/) > [It's an enormous amount of work: there are 28 separate buildings, and I work on the choice of the colors for everything. 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The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [...you must play for the little fellow in the last row of the balcony who only has fifty cents to pay for a ticket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-tabuteau/you-must-play-for-the-little-fellow-in-the-last-row-of-the-balcony/) [Marcel Tabuteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-tabuteau/) > [I do an opening in 'The Glory of the World' play at BAM, and then I go up to the high balcony in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-oldham/i-do-an-opening-in-the-glory-of-the-world-play-at-bam-and-then-i-go/) [Will Oldham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-oldham/) > [The switch had two settings. 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You know that scene in Romeo and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/here-is-something-that-peach-one-of-the-casserole-queens-says-about/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [Here I came to the very edge where nothing at all needs saying, everything is absorbed through weather and the sea, and the moon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/here-i-came-to-the-very-edge-where-nothing-at-all-needs-saying/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Consider the situation. There you are, forehead like a set of balconies, worrying about the long-term effects of all this new 'fire' stuff on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/consider-the-situation-there-you-are-forehead-like-a-set-of-balconies/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Didn't love, like a plant from India, require a prepared soil, a particular temperature? 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We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-quaid/i-grew-up-in-houston-and-i-remember-we-had-separate-drinking/) [Dennis Quaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-quaid/) [Browse all 85 Balconies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balconies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's a small balcony here, the door is open and I can see the lights of the cars on the Harbor Freeway south, they never stop, that roll of lights, on and on. All those people. What are they doing? What are they thinking? We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! 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