---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tally turned away. Five minutes was…"
description: "\"Tally turned away. Five minutes was suddenly too long to stand here, eyes burning, unable to cry.\" — Scott Westerfeld"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png"
---

#  Tally turned away. Five minutes was suddenly too long to…

![“Tally turned away. Five minutes was suddenly too long to stand here, eyes burning, unable to cry.” quote by Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png)

> “Tally turned away. Five minutes was suddenly too long to stand here, eyes burning, unable to cry.”

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator feels intense emotional strain, unable to express tears despite a painful situation.

**In simple terms:** Emotional tension without release.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge feelings before they build.

Themes

loneliness pain emotional restraint

Mood

sad reflective

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

- personal loss
- conflict
- stressful waiting

Key Concepts

psychology human experience

Questions to Reflect On

- What helps you release built-up emotion?

A Different Perspective

May suppressing emotions lead to longer distress?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Eyes Burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-burning-1596117/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Minutes Suddenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes-suddenly-2977874/) [Suddenly Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suddenly-long-2775004/) [Tally Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tally-turned-5502290/) [Too long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-long/) [Turned Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-away/)

## Related quotes

> [It is difficult to suddenly give up a long love. Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catullus/it-is-difficult-to-suddenly-give-up-a-long-love-difficile-est-longum/)

[Catullus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catullus/)

> [I remember a time when I was only able to focus for like 40 minutes and suddenly my head was like a pigeon. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iga-swiatek/i-remember-a-time-when-i-was-only-able-to-focus-for-like-40-minutes/)

[Iga Swiatek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iga-swiatek/)

> [“There was no up, there was no down. There was a steady, nauseated life five minutes ago, but nothing five minutes from now. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paige-harbison/there-was-no-up-there-was-no-down-there-was-a-steady-nauseated-life/)

[Paige Harbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paige-harbison/)

> [Your eyes are burning through me but I need to see before I believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldhouse/your-eyes-are-burning-through-me-but-i-need-to-see-before-i-believe/)

[Goldhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldhouse/)

> [“Her forehead fell to rest on the tile, her eyes burning, flooding, overflowing with the pain he seemed unable to express and she couldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mann/her-forehead-fell-to-rest-on-the-tile-her-eyes-burning-flooding/)

[Catherine Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mann/)

> [“Her eyes meet mine, and I don’t think I’m imagining the shine to her eyes, but it’s kind of hard to tell because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurelin-paige/her-eyes-meet-mine-and-i-don-t-think-i-m-imagining-the-shine-to-her/)

[Laurelin Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurelin-paige/)

> [“His eyes are burning a hole in me like I’m that idiotic heroine from Fifty Shades of Grey.  Thoughts of that book are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-labonte/his-eyes-are-burning-a-hole-in-me-like-i-m-that-idiotic-heroine-from/)

[Beth Labonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-labonte/)

> [“She looked over her shoulder, almost stunned by the ferocity on his angled face. “You want me?” “Aye,” he said, his eyes burning. “Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-zanetti/she-looked-over-her-shoulder-almost-stunned-by-the-ferocity-on-his/)

[Rebecca Zanetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-zanetti/)

> [I'm living on coffee, cigarettes and hospitality food. My bags and things are all over this hotel room in Dallas, but the scene could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/i-m-living-on-coffee-cigarettes-and-hospitality-food-my-bags-and/)

[Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/)

> [“his eyes burning with the unspeakable torture of his impotence. His hands had refused once more to produce anything clear or lifelike (45)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/his-eyes-burning-with-the-unspeakable-torture-of-his-impotence-his/)

[Émile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/)

> [Painted red, my eyes are burning! And still you hide behind the waves! Your silence is haunting! Your words relentless, Burying in!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asking-alexandria/painted-red-my-eyes-are-burning-and-still-you-hide-behind-the-waves/)

[Asking Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asking-alexandria/)

> [“The youngest, aged twelve, could not conceal her disappointment, and turned away, feeling as so many of us have felt when we discover that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/the-youngest-aged-twelve-could-not-conceal-her-disappointment-and/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [“As Annwyl turned away, Keirran rose swiftly, not touching her but very close. "I'm not afraid of exile," he said quietly, and the Summer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/as-annwyl-turned-away-keirran-rose-swiftly-not-touching-her-but-very/)

[Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/)

> [“Go to the devil Harry." I turned away, then looked back over my shoulder. "But you already have, haven't you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-higginbotham/go-to-the-devil-harry-i-turned-away-then-looked-back-over-my-shoulder/)

[Susan Higginbotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-higginbotham/)

## More by Scott Westerfeld

> [“She thought of the orchids spreading across the plains below, choking the life out of the other plants, out of the soil itself, selfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/she-thought-of-the-orchids-spreading-across-the-plains-below-choking/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [But it's always taking a risk, when you ... kiss someone new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/but-it-s-always-taking-a-risk-when-you-kiss-someone-new/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [The Rusty Ruins were the remains of an old city, a hulking reminder of back when there'd been way too many people, and everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-rusty-ruins-were-the-remains-of-an-old-city-a-hulking-reminder-of/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [High school wasn't a trial by fire or some ordeal that had to be survived. It was all a big joke. You just had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/high-school-wasn-t-a-trial-by-fire-or-some-ordeal-that-had-to-be/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [And you've actually watched it yourself?' I asked. 'Willingly?' Sure. I had to see it, you know? Besides we should be safe. Only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/and-you-ve-actually-watched-it-yourself-i-asked-willingly-sure-i-had/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Sometimes, the hardest thing was doing nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/sometimes-the-hardest-thing-was-doing-nothing/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Sure, zombies can “be a metaphor.” They can represent the oppressed, as in Land of the Dead, or humanity’s feral nature, as in 28…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/sure-zombies-can-be-a-metaphor-they-can-represent-the-oppressed-as-in/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“You don't look very happy." Tally tried to smile. David had shared his biggest secret with her; she should tell him hers. But she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/you-don-t-look-very-happy-tally-tried-to-smile-david-had-shared-his/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Dude, I just watched you climb up a f\*cking building!-Lace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/dude-i-just-watched-you-climb-up-a-f-cking-building-lace/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Weird, even for one of us. Or maybe she's worse." "Worse how?" "Normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/weird-even-for-one-of-us-or-maybe-she-s-worse-worse-how-normal/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Tally smiled. At least she was causing trouble to the end. "I'm Tally Youngblood," she said. "make me pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-smiled-at-least-she-was-causing-trouble-to-the-end-i-m-tally/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Out here, you find out that the city fools you about how things really work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/out-here-you-find-out-that-the-city-fools-you-about-how-things-really/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“Growing up like rewriting is simply admitting how clueless you were not so long ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/growing-up-like-rewriting-is-simply-admitting-how-clueless-you-were/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [“The beauty of the world…has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder. —Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/the-beauty-of-the-world-has-two-edges-one-of-laughter-one-of-anguish/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

> [Cure for writer's block: blow something up(in the story)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/cure-for-writer-s-block-blow-something-up-in-the-story/)

[Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

[Explore all 321 Scott Westerfeld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/)

## More Burning quotes

> [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/)

[St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/)

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The entire cosmos is one vast burning bush, permeated by the fire of the divine power and glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kallistos-ware/the-entire-cosmos-is-one-vast-burning-bush-permeated-by-the-fire-of/)

[Kallistos Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kallistos-ware/)

> [Two beautiful women crashing and burning for the sake of the Women's Championship!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/two-beautiful-women-crashing-and-burning-for-the-sake-of-the-women-s/)

[Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/)

> [He lowered the window, and looked out at the rising sun. There was a ridge of ploughed land, with a plough upon it where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-lowered-the-window-and-looked-out-at-the-rising-sun-there-was-a/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Catholicity seized on man... and the mystics, transcending all, taught him to ascend on high with the wings of contemplation the Ladder of Jacob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-donoso-cortes/catholicity-seized-on-man-and-the-mystics-transcending-all-taught-him/)

[Juan Donoso Cortes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-donoso-cortes/)

> [Some fighters know when to stop on their own and go on to something else, and then some fighters have nothing to go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-hagler/some-fighters-know-when-to-stop-on-their-own-and-go-on-to-something/)

[Marvin Hagler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-hagler/)

> [Death is staring too long into the burning sun and the relief of entering a cool, dark room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/death-is-staring-too-long-into-the-burning-sun-and-the-relief-of/)

[Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/)

> [All philanthropy ... is only a savory fumigation burning at the mouth of a sewer. This incense offering makes the air more endurable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/all-philanthropy-is-only-a-savory-fumigation-burning-at-the-mouth-of/)

[Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/)

> [Time is a vindictive bandit to steal the beauty of our former selves. We are left with sagging, rippled flesh and burning gums with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael/time-is-a-vindictive-bandit-to-steal-the-beauty-of-our-former-selves/)

[Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael/)

> [One writes because one has a burning desire to objectify what it is indispensable to one's happiness to express.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/one-writes-because-one-has-a-burning-desire-to-objectify-what-it-is/)

[Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/)

> [Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow." Ken Mierke says. "So they're just training their bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/nearly-all-runners-do-their-slow-runs-too-fast-and-their-fast-runs/)

[Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/)

> [Intense, burning desire is the motivational force that enables you to overcome any obstacle and achieve almost any goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/intense-burning-desire-is-the-motivational-force-that-enables-you-to/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Will closed his eyes. He could not hear Jem go, not anymore; he did not want to know the moment when he left and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/will-closed-his-eyes-he-could-not-hear-jem-go-not-anymore-he-did-not/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

[Browse all 1,668 Burning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burning/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Tally turned away. Five minutes was suddenly too long to stand here, eyes burning, unable to cry.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Scott Westerfeld"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-suddenly-too-long-to-stand-here/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Burning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-suddenly-too-long-to-stand-here/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/scott-westerfeld-928_burning_tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-sudde_692986.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Tally turned away. Five minutes was suddenly too long to stand here, eyes burning, unable to cry.” — Scott Westerfeld",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Scott Westerfeld",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Tally turned away. Five minutes was...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-suddenly-too-long-to-stand-here/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/tally-turned-away-five-minutes-was-suddenly-too-long-to-stand-here/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
