--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at…" description: "\"“Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at night writing in our bed, I was calmed by the sound of your breathing. I would hold my breath and watch your c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-90-when-i-used-to-sit-up-late-at_838466.jpg" --- # Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at night writing in… ![“Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at night writing in our bed, I was calmed by the sound of your breathing. I would hold my breath and watch your chest rise and fall. I felt like a blind man soothed by the scents and sounds of a garden. As I lie here in bed writing this letter, there is only…” quote by Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-90-when-i-used-to-sit-up-late-at_838466.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-90-when-i-used-to-sit-up-late-at_838466.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a14/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-90-when-i-used-to-sit-up-late-at_838466.jpg) > ““Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at night writing in our bed, I was calmed by the sound of your breathing. I would hold my breath and watch your chest rise and fall. I felt like a blind man soothed by the scents and sounds of a garden. As I lie here in bed writing this letter, there is only the sound of my own breathing. When I hold my breath, there is only silence. Tonight I feel like a miner being lowered farther and farther into a dark mine shaft, longing for the scents and the sounds of a garden.”” [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer uses breath and garden imagery to convey longing for intimacy and the void left by a loved one's absence. **In simple terms:** Missing a loved one feels like being trapped in darkness. Key Takeaway Seek connection through shared sensory memories. Themes loneliness longing memory intimacy Mood melancholic intimate Type letter reflective When to use this quote - nighttime writing - grief counseling - mindful breathing exercises Key Concepts sensory metaphor existential yearning psychological isolation Questions to Reflect On - What senses can you recall to feel closer to someone? - How does silence amplify longing? A Different Perspective The poetic style may obscure practical coping strategies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) [Rise and fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-and-fall/) ## Related quotes > [“The more we're connected to our chosen someone, the more we can pick up what they're feeling. It's instinctive, like breathing." "You can't hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/the-more-we-re-connected-to-our-chosen-someone-the-more-we-can-pick/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [You the realest niggas breathing if I hold my breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2-chainz/you-the-realest-niggas-breathing-if-i-hold-my-breath/) [2 Chainz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2-chainz/) > [“Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to the stars. 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The palm of the Aztec king felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-4-as-i-lay-dreaming-montezuma-introduced-himself-and-put-his/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Crying is easy, like breathing- the more you hold it in, the more you let out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tablo/crying-is-easy-like-breathing-the-more-you-hold-it-in-the-more-you/) [Tablo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tablo/) > [I've always wanted to be able to hold my breath for like, ever, and swim in the water like a fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-pena-jr/i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-able-to-hold-my-breath-for-like-ever-and/) [Carlos Pena, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-pena-jr/) > [I took a month long vacation in the stratosphere, and you know it's very hard to hold your breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-took-a-month-long-vacation-in-the-stratosphere-and-you-know-it-s/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Now, children, watch closely. Hold your breath. Listen. And I will show you the components of calamity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kristoff/now-children-watch-closely-hold-your-breath-listen-and-i-will-show/) [Jay Kristoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kristoff/) > [I thought I'd have time to become a movie star. And it didn't happen, did it? We're still waiting. And they're saying, 'Don't hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-hamel/i-thought-i-d-have-time-to-become-a-movie-star-and-it-didn-t-happen/) Veronica Hamel > [I'ma hold my breath until you feel it in your chest. When I go under, under I ain't coming up until you scream and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pleasure-p/i-ma-hold-my-breath-until-you-feel-it-in-your-chest-when-i-go-under/) [Pleasure P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pleasure-p/) > [Dont hold your breath on nuthin it shows da P\*\*\*y in ya Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keyanna-monee/dont-hold-your-breath-on-nuthin-it-shows-da-p-y-in-ya-blood/) Keyanna Monee ## More by Gregory Colbert > [Feather to fire,fire to blood Blood to bone,bone to marrow Marrow to ashes,ashes to snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/feather-to-fire-fire-to-blood-blood-to-bone-bone-to-marrow-marrow-to/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 4 As I lay dreaming, Montezuma introduced himself and put his hand on my shoulder. The palm of the Aztec king felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-4-as-i-lay-dreaming-montezuma-introduced-himself-and-put-his/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [If you look at Paleolithic cave paintings, you see how people were depicted inside nature, not outside it. It was a kind of dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/if-you-look-at-paleolithic-cave-paintings-you-see-how-people-were/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Every culture from the Egyptians to the Mayans to the American Indians to the Bedouins created bestiaries that enabled them to express their relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/every-culture-from-the-egyptians-to-the-mayans-to-the-american/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 74 I still have the first letter that you wrote to me. I carry it with me like a garden in my pocket.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-74-i-still-have-the-first-letter-that-you-wrote-to-me-i-carry/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [I spent all my time at school in the library. Bad teachers can teach you to learn on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-spent-all-my-time-at-school-in-the-library-bad-teachers-can-teach/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [The stars you see at night are the unblinking eyes of sleeping elephants, who sleep with one eye open to best keep watch over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/the-stars-you-see-at-night-are-the-unblinking-eyes-of-sleeping/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [The whales do not sing because they have an answer, they sing because they have a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/the-whales-do-not-sing-because-they-have-an-answer-they-sing-because/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 68 A pod of whales was lying like long reclining Buddhas on the sea. My sister and I put our ears to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-68-a-pod-of-whales-was-lying-like-long-reclining-buddhas-on/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Is it only humans that look up with wonder at the stars and the vastness of the universe?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/is-it-only-humans-that-look-up-with-wonder-at-the-stars-and-the/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [I have invented nothing. I have simply documented a magical alchemy that I want to share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-have-invented-nothing-i-have-simply-documented-a-magical-alchemy/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Letter 1 To the princess of the elephants, I disappeared exactly one year ago. On that day I received a letter. It called me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-1-to-the-princess-of-the-elephants-i-disappeared-exactly-one/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 17 Morning. The snow was falling outside. There was a white silence. My mother and I sat facing my father at the dining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-17-morning-the-snow-was-falling-outside-there-was-a-white/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [When I started Ashes and Snow in 1992, I set out to explore the relationship between man and animals from the inside out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/when-i-started-ashes-and-snow-in-1992-i-set-out-to-explore-the/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [When I started Ashes and Snow in 1992, I set out to explore the relationship between man and animals from the inside out. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/when-i-started-ashes-and-snow-in-1992-i-set-out-to-explore-the-2/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) [Explore all 20 Gregory Colbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) ## More Ashes-and-snow quotes > [“Letter 4 As I lay dreaming, Montezuma introduced himself and put his hand on my shoulder. The palm of the Aztec king felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-4-as-i-lay-dreaming-montezuma-introduced-himself-and-put-his/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 74 I still have the first letter that you wrote to me. I carry it with me like a garden in my pocket.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-74-i-still-have-the-first-letter-that-you-wrote-to-me-i-carry/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 68 A pod of whales was lying like long reclining Buddhas on the sea. My sister and I put our ears to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-68-a-pod-of-whales-was-lying-like-long-reclining-buddhas-on/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 17 Morning. The snow was falling outside. There was a white silence. My mother and I sat facing my father at the dining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-17-morning-the-snow-was-falling-outside-there-was-a-white/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 7 In the beginning of time, the skies were filled with flying elephants. Too heavy for their wings, they sometimes crashed through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-7-in-the-beginning-of-time-the-skies-were-filled-with-flying/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to the stars. A breaching whale is a ladder to the bottom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-84-an-elephant-with-his-trunk-raised-is-a-ladder-to-the-stars/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) Browse all 7 Ashes-and-snow quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at night writing in our bed, I was calmed by the sound of your breathing. I would hold my breath and watch your chest rise and fall. I felt like a blind man soothed by the scents and sounds of a garden. 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