Poorly prepared for the dignity of life, I barely keep up with the pace of the action imposed. Reality demands. Wislawa Szymborska More Quotes by Wislawa Szymborska More Quotes From Wislawa Szymborska No day copies yesterday, no two nights will teach what bliss is in precisely the same way, with precisely the same kisses. Wislawa Szymborska kissingnighttwo I don't know the role I'm playing. I only know it's mine, non-convertible. Wislawa Szymborska minesrolesknows Poets, if they're genuine, must keep repeating "I don't know." Each poem marks an effort to answer this statement, but as soon as the final period hits the page, the poet begins to hesitate, starts to realize that this particular answer was pure makeshift that's absolutely inadequate to boot. So the poets keep on trying, and sooner or later the consecutive results of their self-dissatisfaction are clipped together with a giant paperclip by literary historians and called their oeuvre. Wislawa Szymborska effortselftogether Every beginning is only a sequel, after all, and the book of events is always open halfway through. Wislawa Szymborska halfwayeventsbook Even boredom should be described with gusto. How many things are happening on a day when nothing happens? Wislawa Szymborska gustoboredomshould Animals don't even try to look any different from what nature intended. They humbly wear their shells, scales, spines, plumes, pelts, and down. ... The conscious impulse to change one's appearance is found only among humans. Wislawa Szymborska differentanimaltrying I like being near the top of a mountain. One can't get lost here. Wislawa Szymborska mountainhikinglost No one feels good at four in the morning. If ants feel good at four in the morning —three cheers for the ants. Wislawa Szymborska feel-goodcheermorning You can find the entire cosmos lurking in its least remarkable objects. Wislawa Szymborska cosmosobjectsremarkable Generally speaking, life is so rich and full of variety; you have to remember all the time that there is a comical side to everything. Wislawa Szymborska life-issidesremember And whatever I do will become forever what I've done. Wislawa Szymborska doneforever I am who I am. A coincidence no less unthinkable than any other. Wislawa Szymborska i-am-who-i-amwho-i-amcoincidence Nothing's a gift, it's all on loan Wislawa Szymborska loan All imperfection is easier to tolerate if served up in small doses. Wislawa Szymborska easierimperfectionfunny We're extremely fortunate not to know precisely the kind of world we live in. One would have to live a long, long time, unquestionably longer than the world itself. Wislawa Szymborska kindlongworld Even a graphomaniac is an extremely complicated person. Wislawa Szymborska personscomplicated Four billion people on this earth, but my imagination is still the same. It's bad with large numbers. It's still taken by particularity. It flits in the dark like a flashlight, illuminating only random faces while all the rest go blindly by, never coming to mind and never really missed. . . . I can't tell you how much I pass over in silence. Wislawa Szymborska takendarknumbers Loveless work, boring work, work valued only because others haven't got even that much, however loveless and boring - this is one of the harshest human miseries. Wislawa Szymborska lovelessmiseryboring Get to know other worlds, if only for comparison. Wislawa Szymborska other-worldsifsknows Contemporary poets are skeptical and suspicious even, or perhaps especially, about themselves. They publicly confess to being poets only reluctantly, as if they were a little ashamed of it. But in our clamorous times it's much easier to acknowledge your faults, at least if they're attractively packaged, than to recognize your own merits, since these are hidden deeper and you never quite believe in them yourself. Wislawa Szymborska never-quitfaultsbelieve
