Life Quote by Jeanette Winterson
““After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough garden for your love. So you refuse and then you discover that your house is haunted by the ghost of a leopard. When passion comes late in life it is hard to bear. One more night. How tempting. How innocent. I could stay tonight surely? What difference could it make, one more night? No. If I smell her skin, find the mute curves of her nakedness, she will reach in her hand and withdraw my heart like a bird’s egg. I have not had time to cover my heart in barnacles to elude her. If I give in to this passion, my real life, the most solid, the best known, will disappear and I will feed on shadows again like those sad spirits whom Orpheus fled. I wished her goodnight, touching her hand only and thankful for the dark that hid her eyes.””
About This Quote
A meditation on desire’s corrosive pull, juxtaposing fleeting passion with the safety of restraint, and the haunting consequences of surrendering to temptation.
In simple terms: Desire threatens stability and self‑preservation.
Key Takeaway
Passion can erode one’s foundations.
Themes
temptation
self‑control
loneliness
metaphor
inner conflict
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- late‑life romance
- creative writing
- therapy sessions
Key Concepts
psychological tension
symbolic imagery
Practical Applications
- literary analysis
- counseling techniques
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the ‘ghost of a leopard’ symbolize in the context of desire?
- Can restraint be as fulfilling as passion?
![“All you do in a [stunt] video game, you can do in real life. If you have a passion, don't be too lazy to do it. I hope kids are inspired to go out and do what they really want to do.” quote by Travis Pastrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a25/travis-pastrana-3941_can-do_all-you-do-in-a-stunt-video-game-you-can_107791.jpg)
