--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a waking dream, he was with her again…" description: "\"“In a waking dream, he was with her again. She ate the words from his mouth. Talked to him of waves. The sunset in winter. The desert beneath the ocean..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/michael-sadoff-78466_dream_in-a-waking-dream-he-was-with-her-again_3235804.jpg" --- # In a waking dream, he was with her again. She ate the… ![“In a waking dream, he was with her again. She ate the words from his mouth. Talked to him of waves. The sunset in winter. The desert beneath the ocean. She talked over the small talk and the entries of a timecard. And when he came out of this twilight, he thought there was a shovel in his hand and…” quote by Michael Sadoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/michael-sadoff-78466_dream_in-a-waking-dream-he-was-with-her-again_3235804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/michael-sadoff-78466_dream_in-a-waking-dream-he-was-with-her-again_3235804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d9/michael-sadoff-78466_dream_in-a-waking-dream-he-was-with-her-again_3235804.jpg) > ““In a waking dream, he was with her again. She ate the words from his mouth. Talked to him of waves. The sunset in winter. The desert beneath the ocean. She talked over the small talk and the entries of a timecard. And when he came out of this twilight, he thought there was a shovel in his hand and his job was to dig holes. He paced and mumbled and cursed at the shovel in his hand for hours before lying down in a patch of thick grass and putting his head on his duffel. Here some peace came and he fell asleep for the first time in two days.”” Michael Sadoff ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage portrays a surreal, dream‑like mental state where mundane work blends with vivid, symbolic imagery, culminating in a rare moment of peace. **In simple terms:** A dreamlike narrative mixes work and imagination, ending in calm. Key Takeaway Seek moments of calm amid chaos. Themes surrealism mental health solitude Mood contemplative melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - working late - creative writing - mindful breaks - journaling Key Concepts symbolism inner conflict Questions to Reflect On - How do you find peace in overwhelming situations? - What symbols represent your inner struggles? A Different Perspective The abstract style may obscure concrete meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Small talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-talk/) ## Related quotes > [“We live in an incredibly dynamic universe that gives us what we wish for, like a waking dream”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-sue-larson/we-live-in-an-incredibly-dynamic-universe-that-gives-us-what-we-wish/) [Cynthia Sue Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-sue-larson/) > [We are near waking when we dream we are dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/we-are-near-waking-when-we-dream-we-are-dreaming/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [Life is a dream.. Death is also a dream..for that matter, waking is a dream and sleeping is a dream. Every situation is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-dream-death-is-also-a-dream-for-that-matter-waking-is-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The possibility of waking up from (or even in) the dream offers a glimmer of hope, a sense that there’s more to existence than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-luckman/the-possibility-of-waking-up-from-or-even-in-the-dream-offers-a/) [Sol Luckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-luckman/) > [“... as we travel again between life and death, Waking and dream, blinking, while layers within layers, None better, none worse, unravel and knit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/as-we-travel-again-between-life-and-death-waking-and-dream-blinking/) [Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/) > [was it a vision or a waking dream? Fled is that music--do I wake or sleep?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/was-it-a-vision-or-a-waking-dream-fled-is-that-music-do-i-wake-or/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [Waking up from a dream of violence is much the same as waking up from a dream of love. You must go on living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/waking-up-from-a-dream-of-violence-is-much-the-same-as-waking-up-from/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [“Risking a glance at the dignified young man beside her- what was his name?- Mr. Arthurson, Arterton?- Pandora decided to try her hand at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/risking-a-glance-at-the-dignified-young-man-beside-her-what-was-his/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“This was no regular dream; this was a waking dream. Who was I? It had to have happened in my lifetime. I could feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-truly/this-was-no-regular-dream-this-was-a-waking-dream-who-was-i-it-had-to/) B. Truly > [“I held my breath and wished for that moment to last as long as it possibly could, because a waking dream is always more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikas-swarup/i-held-my-breath-and-wished-for-that-moment-to-last-as-long-as-it/) [Vikas Swarup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikas-swarup/) > [I'm not just talking about analyzing symbols from a dream but bringing the dream into life. I'm talking about seeing the world around you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/i-m-not-just-talking-about-analyzing-symbols-from-a-dream-but/) [Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/) > [“Instead of focusing on isolated objects and events, we can expand our fixed perspective and allow the deeper process (often taking the form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-levy/instead-of-focusing-on-isolated-objects-and-events-we-can-expand-our/) [Paul Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-levy/) > [To my child's eyes, which had seen nothing else, Shanghai was a waking dream where everything I could imagine had already been taken to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/to-my-child-s-eyes-which-had-seen-nothing-else-shanghai-was-a-waking/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [Hold fast to your most indefinite, waking dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/hold-fast-to-your-most-indefinite-waking-dream/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every experience, waking or dream, has a lesson or message to impart to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/every-experience-waking-or-dream-has-a-lesson-or-message-to-impart-to/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) ## More by Michael Sadoff > [“It's tempting to think of US politics as sport or entertainment until you realize these clowns are actually making important policy decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sadoff/it-s-tempting-to-think-of-us-politics-as-sport-or-entertainment-until/) Michael Sadoff > [“Alf understood this. Everyone had said 'no' to him too, and he had said 'no' to everyone and everything in return. He looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sadoff/alf-understood-this-everyone-had-said-no-to-him-too-and-he-had-said/) Michael Sadoff Explore all 3 Michael Sadoff quotes ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“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/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In a waking dream, he was with her again. She ate the words from his mouth. Talked to him of waves. The sunset in winter. The desert beneath the ocean. She talked over the small talk and the entries of a timecard. And when he came out of this twilight, he thought there was a shovel in his hand and his job was to dig holes. 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