--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a rush, the world opened its mouth to…" description: "\"“In a rush, the world opened its mouth to her—and it was screaming. Everywhere—the air around her, the ground beneath her, the stars above—rippled with..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/jackie-morse-kessler-28356_gardening_in-a-rush-the-world-opened-its-mouth-to_1380233.png" --- # In a rush, the world opened its mouth to her—and it was… ![“In a rush, the world opened its mouth to her—and it was screaming. Everywhere—the air around her, the ground beneath her, the stars above—rippled with the soul-wrenching cries of hunger: the trees and bushes and plants all twisted and bent, their branches and stems clawing the sky in skeletal…” quote by Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/jackie-morse-kessler-28356_gardening_in-a-rush-the-world-opened-its-mouth-to_1380233.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/jackie-morse-kessler-28356_gardening_in-a-rush-the-world-opened-its-mouth-to_1380233.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd9/jackie-morse-kessler-28356_gardening_in-a-rush-the-world-opened-its-mouth-to_1380233.png) > ““In a rush, the world opened its mouth to her—and it was screaming. Everywhere—the air around her, the ground beneath her, the stars above—rippled with the soul-wrenching cries of hunger: the trees and bushes and plants all twisted and bent, their branches and stems clawing the sky in skeletal panic; the animals and insects, flying and crawling and burrowing, each frantic in its own way, searching incessantly to end the gnawing demand in its belly; the swarms of people, clotting the world, stuffing themselves only to beg for more, be it food or wealth or attention—all of them, desperate, insatiable. So very hungry. All of them, leeching on to her. Sucking her dry.”” [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote portrays an overwhelming, all‑consuming hunger that pervades nature and humanity, depicting a desperate, frantic scramble for fulfillment that drains the individual. **In simple terms:** Everything around is starving and desperate, pulling on her energy. Key Takeaway Recognize and set boundaries against relentless demands. Themes desperation greed survival exploitation overwhelm Mood anxious intense somber Type literary cautionary reflective When to use this quote - personal crisis - social activism - environmental advocacy - mental health coping - resource management Key Concepts existential dread consumerism ecology psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you protect yourself from being drained by others' demands? - What sustainable alternatives exist to endless consumption? A Different Perspective It may romanticize suffering and ignore cooperative solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Hunger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunger/) ## Related quotes > [Thou art hunger, yo. Make with the starvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/thou-art-hunger-yo-make-with-the-starvation/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [God has identified himself with the hungry, the sick, the naked, the homeless; hunger not only for bread, but for love, for care, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/god-has-identified-himself-with-the-hungry-the-sick-the-naked-the/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [I was born to a black childhood of confusion and poverty. The memory of that beginning influences my work today, It is impossible now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-parks/i-was-born-to-a-black-childhood-of-confusion-and-poverty-the-memory/) [Gordon Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-parks/) > [She wished he’d stop touching her. Not because she didn’t like it but because she liked it far too much. 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Those freeborn too lazy or lacking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ryan/your-realm-is-an-insane-place-in-volaria-no-one-goes-hungry-slaves/) [Anthony Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ryan/) > [“Casey glanced at her plate again, recalling the posters of her elementary school lunchroom: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. So, how much you ate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/casey-glanced-at-her-plate-again-recalling-the-posters-of-her/) [Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/) > [“Perfection is a myth. People who hunger for it die hungry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-craig/perfection-is-a-myth-people-who-hunger-for-it-die-hungry/) [Christie Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-craig/) > [Our society is only as healthy as our most vulnerable citizens. It is unconscionable that the weakest links in our country are our hungry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gray/our-society-is-only-as-healthy-as-our-most-vulnerable-citizens-it-is/) [Linda Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gray/) > [I went to bed hungry many nights as a child. It was a Dream that dressed me up when I was ragged, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/i-went-to-bed-hungry-many-nights-as-a-child-it-was-a-dream-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [You get those hunger pains. 'I am so hungry. We don't have any food. What are we going to eat?' Your stomach hurts. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mclemore/you-get-those-hunger-pains-i-am-so-hungry-we-don-t-have-any-food-what/) [Ben McLemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mclemore/) ## More by Jackie Morse Kessler > [“IF YOU HAVE EVER LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND HATED WHAT YOUSAW,THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/if-you-have-ever-looked-in-the-mirror-and-hated-what-yousaw-this-book/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [Thou art hunger, yo. Make with the starvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/thou-art-hunger-yo-make-with-the-starvation/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [Fear is sweat, but terror is addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/fear-is-sweat-but-terror-is-addictive/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“THEY WILL ALL BETRAY YOU, War said. And they would. Whether it was her teachers or her friends or her family, they would all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/they-will-all-betray-you-war-said-and-they-would-whether-it-was-her/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [THREE DAYS TO DEAD is one of the best books I've read. Ever. Evy Stone is a heroine's heroine, and I rooted for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/three-days-to-dead-is-one-of-the-best-books-i-ve-read-ever-evy-stone/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“He let out another chuckle, one that slithered up her spine and wrapped around her throat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/he-let-out-another-chuckle-one-that-slithered-up-her-spine-and/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“Melissa Miller, sixteen and a self-injurer, looked upon the embodiment of her rage. "I accept you," Missy said, opening her arms wide. "I accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/melissa-miller-sixteen-and-a-self-injurer-looked-upon-the-embodiment/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [She wanted to have him hold her and tell her all the demons were pretend, that there was no monster in her closet, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/she-wanted-to-have-him-hold-her-and-tell-her-all-the-demons-were/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [I want to die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/i-want-to-die/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“On the flat expanse of pancake ice, War stood by the Pale Rider’s side. Though their forms did not touch, their shadows intertwined, black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/on-the-flat-expanse-of-pancake-ice-war-stood-by-the-pale-rider-s-side/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [A smile flitted across War's mouth, hidden by her helmet. She had little patience for religion (although she approved heartily of the religious fanatics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/a-smile-flitted-across-war-s-mouth-hidden-by-her-helmet-she-had/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“She let out a laugh, one that scraped her throat and bled on her tongue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/she-let-out-a-laugh-one-that-scraped-her-throat-and-bled-on-her-tongue/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [Living means constantly growing closer to death. Satisfaction only temporarily relieves hunger. Find the balance, and plant your feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/living-means-constantly-growing-closer-to-death-satisfaction-only/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“His voice, dark and velvety soft, intimate and yet cold: You have blood on your hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/his-voice-dark-and-velvety-soft-intimate-and-yet-cold-you-have-blood/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) > [“YOU DEMAND SALVATION EVEN AS YOU STEAL FROM THE COLLECTION PLATE. YOU SEND FOOD TO THE REFUGEES, AND THEN YOU DON'T ALLOW THE DELIVERY…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-morse-kessler/you-demand-salvation-even-as-you-steal-from-the-collection-plate-you/) [Jackie Morse Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) [Explore all 16 Jackie Morse Kessler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-morse-kessler/) ## More Gardening quotes > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [A garden has a curious innocent way of consuming cash while all the time you are under the illusion that you are spending nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-meynell/a-garden-has-a-curious-innocent-way-of-consuming-cash-while-all-the/) [Esther Meynell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-meynell/) > [My days – the blossom of my youth and the flower of my manhood – have been darkened by the dreariness of servitude. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-o-connell/my-days-the-blossom-of-my-youth-and-the-flower-of-my-manhood-have/) [Daniel O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-o-connell/) > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/) [Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/) > [There was a product on late night TV that you could attach to your garden hose - "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/there-was-a-product-on-late-night-tv-that-you-could-attach-to-your/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Plant flowers in others' gardens and your life becomes a bouquet! Submitted by Lisa Letto, Coordinator, Nutrition Resource and Volunteer Centre, College of Pharmacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/plant-flowers-in-others-gardens-and-your-life-becomes-a-bouquet/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“A flower needs the rain to grow just as much as it needs the sunshine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/a-flower-needs-the-rain-to-grow-just-as-much-as-it-needs-the-sunshine/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [“Mr. Grote shows me how he grows wild rice in the stream and collects the seeds. The rice is nutty and brown. 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