--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The huge round lunar clock was a…" description: "\"The huge round lunar clock was a gristmill. Shake down all the grains of Time—the big grains of centuries, and the small grains of years, and the tiny ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/ray-bradbury-75_bigs_the-huge-round-lunar-clock-was-a-gristmi_1021698.jpg" --- # The huge round lunar clock was a gristmill. Shake down all… ![“The huge round lunar clock was a gristmill. Shake down all the grains of Time—the big grains of centuries, and the small grains of years, and the tiny grains of hours and minutes—and the clock pulverized them, slid Time silently out in all directions in a fine pollen, carried by cold winds to…” quote by Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/ray-bradbury-75_bigs_the-huge-round-lunar-clock-was-a-gristmi_1021698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/ray-bradbury-75_bigs_the-huge-round-lunar-clock-was-a-gristmi_1021698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f58/ray-bradbury-75_bigs_the-huge-round-lunar-clock-was-a-gristmi_1021698.jpg) > “The huge round lunar clock was a gristmill. Shake down all the grains of Time—the big grains of centuries, and the small grains of years, and the tiny grains of hours and minutes—and the clock pulverized them, slid Time silently out in all directions in a fine pollen, carried by cold winds to blanket the town like dust, everywhere. Spores from that clock lodged in your flesh to wrinkle it, to grow bones to monstrous size, to burst feet from shoes like turnips. Oh, how that great machine…dispensed Time in blowing weathers.” [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid metaphor describing time as a grinding clock that spreads its particles like pollen, aging and transforming everything it touches. **In simple terms:** Time is a relentless force that ages all things. Key Takeaway Accept time’s inevitable impact. Themes time impermanence change Mood reflective melancholic Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - writing - philosophical reflection - daily aging Key Concepts entropy cosmic cycles Questions to Reflect On - How does this image change your view of aging? - Can you see time’s influence in everyday moments? A Different Perspective The metaphor may be overly dramatic for practical use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Blanket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blanket/) [Bones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bones/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Clock Gristmill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock-gristmill-2281694/) [Clock Lodged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock-lodged-2281696/) [Clock Pulverized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock-pulverized-2281692/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Dust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dust/) [Feet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feet/) [Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine/) [Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh/) [Grain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain/) [Grains Centuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grains-centuries-2281693/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Pollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollen/) [Shakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakes/) [Shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shoes/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Spores Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spores-clock-2281695/) [Tiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny/) [Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/towns/) [Turnips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turnips/) [Weather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Wrinkles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrinkles/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [We have domesticated crops over a very long period of time, like tens of thousands of years. And crops get - seeds get carried.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-fedoroff/we-have-domesticated-crops-over-a-very-long-period-of-time-like-tens/) [Nina Fedoroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-fedoroff/) > [Love is the bee that carries the pollen from one heart to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slash-coleman/love-is-the-bee-that-carries-the-pollen-from-one-heart-to-another/) [Slash Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slash-coleman/) > [Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/books-are-the-bees-which-carry-the-quickening-pollen-from-one-to/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [We want to be God in all the ways that are not the ways of God, in what we hope is indestructible or unmoving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deena-metzger/we-want-to-be-god-in-all-the-ways-that-are-not-the-ways-of-god-in/) [Deena Metzger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deena-metzger/) > [I am not afraid of beauty, unlike most artists today. The pollen, the milk, the beeswax, they have a beauty that is incredible, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-laib/i-am-not-afraid-of-beauty-unlike-most-artists-today-the-pollen-the/) [Wolfgang Laib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-laib/) > [I couldn’t move. It’s something I’m still ashamed of. You always wonder how you’ll handle a moment of crisis; if you’ve got what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-couldn-t-move-it-s-something-i-m-still-ashamed-of-you-always-wonder/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [I never smoked cigarettes, I never did hard drugs. But I love bee pollen capsules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marky-ramone/i-never-smoked-cigarettes-i-never-did-hard-drugs-but-i-love-bee/) [Marky Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marky-ramone/) > [The Navajo have that wonderful image of what they call the pollen path. The Navajo say, 'Oh, beauty before me, beauty behind me, beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-navajo-have-that-wonderful-image-of-what-they-call-the-pollen/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [A poet sees a flower and can go on and on about how beautiful the colors are. But what the poet doesn't see is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/a-poet-sees-a-flower-and-can-go-on-and-on-about-how-beautiful-the/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) > [Until it seems the whole city will be covered with gold pollen shaken from the bell-towers, lilies plundered with the weight of massive bees . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilda-doolittle/until-it-seems-the-whole-city-will-be-covered-with-gold-pollen-shaken/) [Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilda-doolittle/) > [Plants are decisive to a fault. A stem produces a bud that flowers once and once only. It offers pollen that is either dispersed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/plants-are-decisive-to-a-fault-a-stem-produces-a-bud-that-flowers/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [Plants with leaves no more efficient than today's solar cells could out-compete real plants, crowding the biosphere with an inedible foliage. Tough omnivorous bacteria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-eric-drexler/plants-with-leaves-no-more-efficient-than-today-s-solar-cells-could/) [K. Eric Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-eric-drexler/) > [The pollen count, now that's a difficult job. Especially if you've got hay fever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-jones/the-pollen-count-now-that-s-a-difficult-job-especially-if-you-ve-got/) [Milton Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-jones/) > [ Gradually the magic of the island \[Corfu\] settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/gradually-the-magic-of-the-island-corfu-settled-over-us-as-gently-and/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [I have allergies, and I've had my share of nosebleeds, but that's usually related to pollen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-curry/i-have-allergies-and-i-ve-had-my-share-of-nosebleeds-but-that-s/) [Stephen Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-curry/) ## More by Ray Bradbury > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" He laughed. "That's against the law!" "Oh. Of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/do-you-ever-read-any-of-the-books-you-burn-he-laughed-that-s-against/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [There's no reason to burn books if you don't read them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/there-s-no-reason-to-burn-books-if-you-don-t-read-them/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Remember, with writing, what you’re looking for is just one person to come up and tell you, 'I love you for what you do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/remember-with-writing-what-you-re-looking-for-is-just-one-person-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [As a result of reading science fiction when I was eight, I grew up with an interest in music, architecture, city planning, transportation, politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/as-a-result-of-reading-science-fiction-when-i-was-eight-i-grew-up/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“You can’t learn to write in college. It’s a very bad place for writers because the teachers always think they know more than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-can-t-learn-to-write-in-college-it-s-a-very-bad-place-for-writers/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We're going to become the martians when we land there. When we explore and build communities, we become the martians. That's a wonderful destiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-re-going-to-become-the-martians-when-we-land-there-when-we-explore/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The library is the biggest cracker box factory in the world. The more you eat, the more you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-library-is-the-biggest-cracker-box-factory-in-the-world-the-more/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-travel-for-romance-we-travel-for-architecture-and-we-travel-to-be/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I spent three days a week for 10 years educating myself in the public library, and it's better than college. People should educate themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-spent-three-days-a-week-for-10-years-educating-myself-in-the-public/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [If we try to deny the darkness in our souls then we'll become completely dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/if-we-try-to-deny-the-darkness-in-our-souls-then-we-ll-become/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-remember-that-the-captain-belongs-to-the-most-dangerous-enemy-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) [Explore all 1,520 Ray Bradbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The huge round lunar clock was a gristmill. Shake down all the grains of Time—the big grains of centuries, and the small grains of years, and the tiny grains of hours and minutes—and the clock pulverized them, slid Time silently out in all directions in a fine pollen, carried by cold winds to blanket the town like dust, everywhere. Spores from that clock lodged in your flesh to wrinkle it, to grow bones to monstrous size, to burst feet from shoes like turnips. 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