Coming home Quote by Laurie Cooper
““If I could really love, I would take away these tubes dripping lipids and glucose into your blood. I would liquefy the things you love and flood them through your veins: our sleeping dogs' rhythmic breathing, huge orange trumpets of the amaryllis we thought would never bloom, the crunch of the gravel road coming home. If I could really love, I would climb onto your narrow back and wrap myself around, guarding like a ladybug, or Achilles' mighty shield.””
About This Quote
The speaker imagines love that could replace medical tubes with cherished sensory memories: a sleeping dog's breath, blooming amaryllis, the sound of gravel. Loving fully would mean being a protective presence like a ladybug or Achilles' shield, offering comfort and guarding against harm.
In simple terms: Real love would transfuse precious, everyday memories and offer protection.
Key Takeaway
Love that cannot cure can still bring comfort and shield the beloved.
Themes
love
grief
protection
memory
comfort
mortality
Mood
tender
poignant
protective
Type
prose poetry
literary fiction
meditation
When to use this quote
- caring for someone ill
- end-of-life reflection
- expressing love non-medically
- comforting a suffering loved one
- appreciating ordinary moments
Key Concepts
metaphor of love as shield
transformative imagination
sympathetic presence
Questions to Reflect On
- What ordinary sensory moments would you choose to share with a loved one?
- How can you show love when you cannot solve the problem?
A Different Perspective
The speaker cannot actually remove tubes or cure illness, so the poem is an honest expression of powerlessness rather than practical help.
