--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The baby was restless, and I was scared…" description: "\"“The baby was restless, and I was scared. It was almost time. I was so tired, I almost wanted to die. For a long time, because he was in solitary, I ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg" --- # The baby was restless, and I was scared. It was almost… ![“The baby was restless, and I was scared. It was almost time. I was so tired, I almost wanted to die. For a long time, because he was in solitary, I had not been able to see Fonny. I had seen him on this day. He was so skinny; he was so bruised: I almost cried out. To whom, where? I saw this…” quote by James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg) > ““The baby was restless, and I was scared. It was almost time. I was so tired, I almost wanted to die. For a long time, because he was in solitary, I had not been able to see Fonny. I had seen him on this day. He was so skinny; he was so bruised: I almost cried out. To whom, where? I saw this question in Fonny's enormous, slanted black eyes–– eyes that burned, now, like the eyes of a prophet. Yet, when he grinned, I saw, all over again, my lover, as though for the first time.”” [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense love and fear intertwine, revealing deep emotional vulnerability and yearning. **In simple terms:** Love brings both joy and terror. Key Takeaway Embrace love despite fear. Themes love fear identity vulnerability desire Mood poignant intimate Type literary emotional When to use this quote - relationships - personal growth - creative expression Key Concepts emotional intimacy self‑acceptance human connection Questions to Reflect On - How does love shape personal identity? - What fears accompany deep affection? A Different Perspective May not capture all readers' experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-eyes/) [Bruised Cried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bruised-cried-2705115/) [Cried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cried/) [Eyes Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-burned-733272/) [Eyes Prophet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-prophet-2705116/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“For a second i was just a kid, a kid who had lived all his life in the same tiny town. Just a child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/for-a-second-i-was-just-a-kid-a-kid-who-had-lived-all-his-life-in-the/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“When the flames came up her eyes burned out there like gatelamps to another world. A world burning on the shore of an unknowable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/when-the-flames-came-up-her-eyes-burned-out-there-like-gatelamps-to/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“Everything has beauty," she said, "but not everyone sees it." Her stomach hurt, her eyes burned. "I saw you, Hatter." Her words whispered through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-hall/everything-has-beauty-she-said-but-not-everyone-sees-it-her-stomach/) [Marie Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-hall/) > [“I love you Kai." He closed his eyes and shivered as if a feather had been drawn down his back. My own eyes burned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-higgins/i-love-you-kai-he-closed-his-eyes-and-shivered-as-if-a-feather-had/) [Wendy Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-higgins/) > [“She was surprised to find that something from deep down in herself welled into her eyes and burned her cheeks: a few poor tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-mauriac/she-was-surprised-to-find-that-something-from-deep-down-in-herself/) [François Mauriac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-mauriac/) > [“This isn't your fight, Patch," I said quietly. His eyes burned with an intensity I'd never seen before. "You're mine, Angel, and don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/this-isn-t-your-fight-patch-i-said-quietly-his-eyes-burned-with-an/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/gazing-up-into-the-darkness-i-saw-myself-as-a-creature-driven-and/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [“His eyes burned into mine, chasing away any remaining dark shadows, and then he added in a hoarse voice, “I will love you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-ricklin-jones/his-eyes-burned-into-mine-chasing-away-any-remaining-dark-shadows-and/) [Sharon Ricklin Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-ricklin-jones/) > [“His eyes burned with intensity. I wondered briefly if someone he knew was being held in that cold room that smelled like death. Someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaye-wells/his-eyes-burned-with-intensity-i-wondered-briefly-if-someone-he-knew/) [Jaye Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaye-wells/) > [“The divorce papers remained unopened in the crisp yellow envelope. He had thrown it on his desk without a backward glance. Between his lashes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzan-battah/the-divorce-papers-remained-unopened-in-the-crisp-yellow-envelope-he/) [Suzan Battah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzan-battah/) > [Her eyes burned, her muscles ached, but in some strange and secret place, she was happy to finally be doing something that wasn't just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/her-eyes-burned-her-muscles-ached-but-in-some-strange-and-secret/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [His eyes burned violet - not with anger but with intense desire. The kind of look that made you love a person so much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/his-eyes-burned-violet-not-with-anger-but-with-intense-desire-the/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“Now and then a pair of eyes would burn at us out of the dark ahead. I knew that they were the eyes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/now-and-then-a-pair-of-eyes-would-burn-at-us-out-of-the-dark-ahead-i/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“Better to go out to see the world one time with his own eyes, than to be burned alive with the plastic curtains.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/better-to-go-out-to-see-the-world-one-time-with-his-own-eyes-than-to/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Oh, Cathy! Oh, my life! how can I bear it?" was the first sentence he uttered, in a tone that did not seek to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/oh-cathy-oh-my-life-how-can-i-bear-it-was-the-first-sentence-he/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) ## More by James Baldwin > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“The South is very beautiful but its beauty makes one sad because the lives that people live, and have lived here, are so ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-south-is-very-beautiful-but-its-beauty-makes-one-sad-because-the/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“All cultures have, furthermore, an economic, social, and political base, and no culture can continue to live if its political destiny is not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/all-cultures-have-furthermore-an-economic-social-and-political-base/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“I remembered that life in that room seemed to be occuring beneath the sea, time flowed past indiffrently above us, hours and days had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/i-remembered-that-life-in-that-room-seemed-to-be-occuring-beneath-the/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“No. It would help if I were able to feel guilty.But the end of innocence is also the end of guilt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/no-it-would-help-if-i-were-able-to-feel-guilty-but-the-end-of/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“Perhaps now, though, he had hit bottom. One thing about the bottom, he told himself, you can't fall any further. He tried to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/perhaps-now-though-he-had-hit-bottom-one-thing-about-the-bottom-he/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“What kind of friendship have you had? Or for that matter...what kind of love affairs?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/what-kind-of-friendship-have-you-had-or-for-that-matter-what-kind-of/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“For these are all our children, we will all profit by or pay for what they become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/for-these-are-all-our-children-we-will-all-profit-by-or-pay-for-what/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“Every society is really governed by hidden laws, by unspoken but profound assumptions on the part of the people, and ours is no exception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/every-society-is-really-governed-by-hidden-laws-by-unspoken-but/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“In those days my mother was given to the exasperating and mysterious habit of having babies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-those-days-my-mother-was-given-to-the-exasperating-and-mysterious/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“He was suggesting that all Negroes were held in a state of supreme tension between the difficult, dangerous relationship in which they stood to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/he-was-suggesting-that-all-negroes-were-held-in-a-state-of-supreme/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“In the beginning—and neither can this be overstated—a Negro just cannot believe that white people are treating him as they do; he does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-the-beginning-and-neither-can-this-be-overstated-a-negro-just/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“If the world wasn't so full of dead folks maybe those of us that's trying to live wouldn't have to suffer so bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/if-the-world-wasn-t-so-full-of-dead-folks-maybe-those-of-us-that-s/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“I am very much concerned that American Negroes achieve their freedom here in the United States. But I am also concerned for their dignity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/i-am-very-much-concerned-that-american-negroes-achieve-their-freedom/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“The paradox—and a fearful paradox it is—is that the American Negro can have no future anywhere, on any continent, as long as he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-paradox-and-a-fearful-paradox-it-is-is-that-the-american-negro/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) [Explore all 312 James Baldwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) ## More Black eyes quotes > [A blue eye is a true eye; Mysterious is a dark one, Which flashes like a spark sun! A black eye is the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/a-blue-eye-is-a-true-eye-mysterious-is-a-dark-one-which-flashes-like/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [As in 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'?" The skull howled with laughter. "You just got your ass handed to you by a nursery tale?""I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/as-in-the-three-billy-goats-gruff-the-skull-howled-with-laughter-you/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [A sucker punch came flying from somewhere in the back. As soon as we can see clearly with our big black eye, we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/a-sucker-punch-came-flying-from-somewhere-in-the-back-as-soon-as-we/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) > [“He wants to say, because Anne is not a carnal being, she is a calculating being, with a cold slick brain at work behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/he-wants-to-say-because-anne-is-not-a-carnal-being-she-is-a/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [“Still, there was no point in hurting Damon. She loved Damon, too. “I’ll try,” she promised. “We’ll take you home,” he said. “But not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-smith/still-there-was-no-point-in-hurting-damon-she-loved-damon-too-i-ll/) [L.J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-smith/) > [So cut my wrists and black my eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hawthorne-heights/so-cut-my-wrists-and-black-my-eyes/) [Hawthorne Heights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hawthorne-heights/) > [“Mrs. Pott's beady black eyes narrowed,"Do you know how many glass slippers I have to stitch when I get home? There's a Mad Hatter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-avett/mrs-pott-s-beady-black-eyes-narrowed-do-you-know-how-many-glass/) [Sophie Avett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-avett/) > [“In his eyes, those dazzling near-black eyes, more important to me than our love or lust or friendship, was a look of pure trust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-his-eyes-those-dazzling-near-black-eyes-more-important-to-me-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Oh my! What happened to your face?” Cameron raised her hands to her face, remembering the moment of impact and how her nose had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-force/oh-my-what-happened-to-your-face-cameron-raised-her-hands-to-her-face/) [Marie Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-force/) > [“She didn’t want to give the murder-pornography frame by frame. Didn’t want to recite her route across Manhattan, the length of the knife blade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pavone/she-didn-t-want-to-give-the-murder-pornography-frame-by-frame-didn-t/) [Chris Pavone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pavone/) > [“There, there, sweetin’,” he murmured into her hair. “He loved me, he truly did,” she gasped. “I know he did,” Michael said. “And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hoyt/there-there-sweetin-he-murmured-into-her-hair-he-loved-me-he-truly/) [Elizabeth Hoyt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hoyt/) > [“My fingers combed through my dark hair, short and straight, landing in choppy, uneven ends nearly level with my chin. The color reminded me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/my-fingers-combed-through-my-dark-hair-short-and-straight-landing-in/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [They chose me for Lawrence of Arabia because I spoke English, had black hair, black eyes and a moustache. It was all luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/they-chose-me-for-lawrence-of-arabia-because-i-spoke-english-had/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [“Draco, do it, or stand aside so one of us -" screeched the woman, but at that precise moment the door to the ramparts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/draco-do-it-or-stand-aside-so-one-of-us-screeched-the-woman-but-at/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [I could get you to smile like that, and without sales tax." I whirled around to find the real Patch standing in the fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-could-get-you-to-smile-like-that-and-without-sales-tax-i-whirled/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) [Browse all 213 Black eyes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-eyes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The baby was restless, and I was scared. It was almost time. I was so tired, I almost wanted to die. For a long time, because he was in solitary, I had not been able to see Fonny. I had seen him on this day. He was so skinny; he was so bruised: I almost cried out. To whom, where? I saw this question in Fonny's enormous, slanted black eyes–– eyes that burned, now, like the eyes of a prophet. Yet, when he grinned, I saw, all over again, my lover, as though for the first time.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Baldwin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-it-was-almost-time-i-was-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black eyes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-it-was-almost-time-i-was-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/854/james-baldwin-995_black-eyes_the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-i_2697263.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The baby was restless, and I was scared. It was almost time. I was so tired, I almost wanted to die. For a…” — James Baldwin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Baldwin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The baby was restless, and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-it-was-almost-time-i-was-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-baby-was-restless-and-i-was-scared-it-was-almost-time-i-was-so/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```