--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After the shot he collapsed on the bed…" description: "\"“After the shot he collapsed on the bed and lay there inert, but something was stirring in his spine from neck to the tail - and now pieces tore loose ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9df/william-s-burroughs-528_collapsed_after-the-shot-he-collapsed-on-the-bed-a_588582.png" --- # After the shot he collapsed on the bed and lay there… ![“After the shot he collapsed on the bed and lay there inert, but something was stirring in his spine from neck to the tail - and now pieces tore loose in the eggs and then a red, glistening head emerges in reeking yellow slime - and then the whole centipede crawling out quick.” quote by William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9df/william-s-burroughs-528_collapsed_after-the-shot-he-collapsed-on-the-bed-a_588582.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9df/william-s-burroughs-528_collapsed_after-the-shot-he-collapsed-on-the-bed-a_588582.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9df/william-s-burroughs-528_collapsed_after-the-shot-he-collapsed-on-the-bed-a_588582.png) > ““After the shot he collapsed on the bed and lay there inert, but something was stirring in his spine from neck to the tail - and now pieces tore loose in the eggs and then a red, glistening head emerges in reeking yellow slime - and then the whole centipede crawling out quick.”” [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A grotesque, vivid image of a centipede emerging, symbolizing chaotic transformation. **In simple terms:** A strange creature emerges from decay. Key Takeaway Embrace change, even when it feels unsettling. Themes surrealism body transformation Mood dark intense Type literary visual When to use this quote - creative writing - horror storytelling - visual art - psychological analysis Key Concepts decay emergence chaos metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What does the centipede represent to you? - How does vivid horror affect perception? A Different Perspective The graphic detail may alienate some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“There may be people who like centipedes... Personally, I would regard such an individual with deep suspicion. I have just petted my cat: "And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/there-may-be-people-who-like-centipedes-personally-i-would-regard/) [William S. 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Consider this the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/the-centipede-has-rhythm-and-flow-in-its-hundred-legs-precisely/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [“The centipede was happy, quite, Until a toad in fun Said, “Pray, which leg goes after which?” This worked his mind to such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wilson-watts/the-centipede-was-happy-quite-until-a-toad-in-fun-said-pray-which-leg/) [Alan Wilson Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wilson-watts/) > [“...an arthropod with twenty-one body segments and forty-two legs, is commonly called a centipede (one hundred feet) in English and a "mille-pattes" (thousand legs)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislas-dehaene/an-arthropod-with-twenty-one-body-segments-and-forty-two-legs-is/) [Stanislas Dehaene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislas-dehaene/) > [“Or a mother might look at her child's cheek and ask him: "What's that, a pimple?" and see the flesh puff out a little,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/or-a-mother-might-look-at-her-child-s-cheek-and-ask-him-what-s-that-a/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“...so many knives and forks and spoons were not meant for a human being but for a centipede...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/so-many-knives-and-forks-and-spoons-were-not-meant-for-a-human-being/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“The centipede, having a hundred limbs, can find no useless feet;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-centipede-having-a-hundred-limbs-can-find-no-useless-feet/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“Would you mind washing my feet? 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