--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A kid under a tablecloth insists he’s a…" description: "\"A kid under a tablecloth insists he’s a ghost. A table underneath a tablecloth is, I guess, like the rest of us, only pretending to be invisible.\" — Ri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/richard-siken-4133_ghost_a-kid-under-a-tablecloth-insists-he-s-a_2362787.jpg" --- # A kid under a tablecloth insists he’s a ghost. A table… ![“A kid under a tablecloth insists he’s a ghost. A table underneath a tablecloth is, I guess, like the rest of us, only pretending to be invisible.” quote by Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/richard-siken-4133_ghost_a-kid-under-a-tablecloth-insists-he-s-a_2362787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/richard-siken-4133_ghost_a-kid-under-a-tablecloth-insists-he-s-a_2362787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95b/richard-siken-4133_ghost_a-kid-under-a-tablecloth-insists-he-s-a_2362787.jpg) > “A kid under a tablecloth insists he’s a ghost. A table underneath a tablecloth is, I guess, like the rest of us, only pretending to be invisible.” [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s claim of being a ghost reflects how people hide behind pretenses, pretending to be unseen while actually being present. **In simple terms:** People hide behind false appearances. Key Takeaway Recognize authenticity in yourself and others. Themes identity appearance authenticity Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - family gatherings - social media - first impressions - theatre - personal relationships Key Concepts existentialism self‑perception Questions to Reflect On - What masks are you wearing? - How does invisibility affect belonging? A Different Perspective Pretenses can be self‑protective but also limit genuine connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghost/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) ## Related quotes > [Wearing your clothes or standing in the shower for over an hour, pretending that this skin is your skin, these hands your hands, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/wearing-your-clothes-or-standing-in-the-shower-for-over-an-hour/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [Pretending that there are no choices to be made - reading only books, for example, which are cheery and safe and nice - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/pretending-that-there-are-no-choices-to-be-made-reading-only-books/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [Secretly listening to peoples conversations while pretending that you're busy doing something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/secretly-listening-to-peoples-conversations-while-pretending-that-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im tired of pretending Im not a total bitchin rock star from Mars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/im-tired-of-pretending-im-not-a-total-bitchin-rock-star-from-mars/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [An actor needs something to stabilize his personality, something to nail down what he really is, not what he is currently pretending to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/an-actor-needs-something-to-stabilize-his-personality-something-to/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [I don't care if they hate me cause I love being myself rather than pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine/i-don-t-care-if-they-hate-me-cause-i-love-being-myself-rather-than/) [Christine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine/) > [No one has it all figured out, especially not the people who are acting like they do and judging you because of it. 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I swallow your heart and it crawls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/we-re-shooting-the-scene-where-i-swallow-your-heart-and-you-make-me/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [He was pointing at the moon, but I was looking at his hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/he-was-pointing-at-the-moon-but-i-was-looking-at-his-hand/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [You play along, because you want to die for love, you always have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/you-play-along-because-you-want-to-die-for-love-you-always-have/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [“Here we are, at the place where I get to beg for it. Where I get to say ‘Please, for just one night, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/here-we-are-at-the-place-where-i-get-to-beg-for-it-where-i-get-to-say/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [“I’m sorry about the blood in your mouth. I wish it was mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/i-m-sorry-about-the-blood-in-your-mouth-i-wish-it-was-mine/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [“The stranger says there are no more couches and he will have to sleep in your bed. You try to warn him, you tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/the-stranger-says-there-are-no-more-couches-and-he-will-have-to-sleep/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [“I looked at all the trees and didn’t know what to do. A box made out of leaves. 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I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/knot-the-tie-and-go-to-work-unknot-the-tie-and-go-to-sleep-i-sleep-i/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [“want to tell you this story without having to confess anything, without having to say that I ran out into the street to prove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/want-to-tell-you-this-story-without-having-to-confess-anything/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [Here is the repeated image of the lover destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/here-is-the-repeated-image-of-the-lover-destroyed/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [“You cannot get in the way of anyone's path to God. You can, but it does no good. Every spy knows this. Somesay God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/you-cannot-get-in-the-way-of-anyone-s-path-to-god-you-can-but-it-does/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) [Explore all 115 Richard Siken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) ## More Ghost quotes > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I was overcome by the Holy Ghost one time, but in a Baptist way. I was six or seven, and I was saved. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/i-was-overcome-by-the-holy-ghost-one-time-but-in-a-baptist-way-i-was/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-modiano/nice-is-a-city-of-ghosts-and-specters-but-i-hope-not-to-become-one-of/) [Patrick Modiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-modiano/) > [“Who is this ghost ordered into music?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuko-shiraishi/who-is-this-ghost-ordered-into-music/) Kazuko Shiraishi > [The ghost story movie that scared me the most was The Changeling with George C. Scott. I think that's sometimes overlooked, but it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-ghost-story-movie-that-scared-me-the-most-was-the-changeling-with/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Maybe I could be friends with a ghost. I wouldn’t be able to kill him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/maybe-i-could-be-friends-with-a-ghost-i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-kill-him/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [I love ghost stories, I love to read them, and I love the idea of being haunted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-perks/i-love-ghost-stories-i-love-to-read-them-and-i-love-the-idea-of-being/) [Micah Perks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-perks/) > [The Holy Ghost is the greatest guarantor of inward peace in our unstable world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/the-holy-ghost-is-the-greatest-guarantor-of-inward-peace-in-our/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-saw-the-gooseflesh-on-my-skin-i-did-not-know-what-made-it-i-was-not/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [She knows not loves that kissed her She knows not where. Art thou the ghost, my sister, White sister there, Am I the ghost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/algernon-charles-swinburne/she-knows-not-loves-that-kissed-her-she-knows-not-where-art-thou-the/) [Algernon Charles Swinburne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/algernon-charles-swinburne/) > [Pity the planet, all joy gone from this sweet volcanic cone; peace to our children when they fall in small war on the heel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/pity-the-planet-all-joy-gone-from-this-sweet-volcanic-cone-peace-to/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-the-church-needs-to-day-is-not-more-machinery-or-better-not-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do I believe in ghosts?...I am prepared to consider evidence and accept it if it satisfies me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-r-james/do-i-believe-in-ghosts-i-am-prepared-to-consider-evidence-and-accept/) [M. R. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-r-james/) > [Just live that life. It doesn't matter whether it is life or hell, life of the hungry ghost, life of the animal, it's okay;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taizan-maezumi/just-live-that-life-it-doesn-t-matter-whether-it-is-life-or-hell-life/) [Taizan Maezumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taizan-maezumi/) [Browse all 2,175 Ghost quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghost/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A kid under a tablecloth insists he’s a ghost. 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