Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Naomi Shihab Nye

Quote by Naomi Shihab Nye

“like our parents always told us not to like firefighters warn against we're playing games and making the rules up as we go we're matching warmth to warmth starting fires burning wishes into our skin we're hidden holding forbidden lights we're children whose fathers have never taught never touch but we're finding these new flames we smother at the sound of footsteps.”

Quote by Naomi Shihab Nye

Work

Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets under 25

The book is a compilation of poetry from a diverse group of young authors, each contributing their own perspective and artistic expression to the literary landscape. The collection aims to celebrate the creativity and talent of these poets, offering readers a glimpse into the evolving world of contemporary poetry. more

Author

Naomi Shihab Nye
Naomi Shihab Nye

Naomi Shihab Nye is an American poet born on March 12, 1952. Her work blends personal experiences with a wide range of cultural backgrounds, known for its concise and profound language style. more

You May Also Like

“Let me peer out at the world through your lens. (Maybe I'll shudder, or gasp, or tilt my head in a question.) Let me see how your blue is my turquoise and my orange is your gold. Suddenly binary stars, we have startling gravity. Let's compare scintillation - let's share starlight.”

“maybe we try too hard to be remembered, waking to the glowing yellow disc in ignorance, swearing that today will be the day, today we will make something of our lives. what if we are so busy searching for worth that we miss the sapphire sky and cackling blackbird. what else is missing? maybe our steps are too straight and our paths too narrow and not overlapping. maybe when they overlap someone in another country lights a candle, a couple resolves their argument, a young man puts down his silver gun and walks away.”

“I'm like the weather, never really can predict when this rain cloud's gonna burst; when it's the high or it's the low, when you might need a light jacket. Sometimes I'm the slush that sticks to the bottom of your work pants, but I can easily be the melting snowflakes clinging to your long lashes. I know that some people like: sunny and seventy-five, sunny and seventy-five, sunny and seventy-five, but you take me as I am and never forget to pack an umbrella.”