I can never drive my car over a bridge without thinking of suicide. I can never look at a lake or an ocean without thinking of suicide.
I think that the world should be full of cats and full of rain, that's all, just cats and rain, rain and cats, very nice, good night.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a simple desire for a world enriched by the presence of cats and rain, suggesting a serene and comforting vision.
In this quote, Charles Bukowski conveys a whimsical and heartfelt yearning for the presence of two elements: cats and rain. This suggests a sense of peace and contentment that can come from appreciating the simple joys in life. The repetition emphasizes the significance of these elements to him, creating a cozy, inviting atmosphere as he bids good night. It reflects a personal, somewhat romantic view of the world, where even the mundane elements like rain can evoke a sense of beauty when combined with the companionship of cats.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a social media post celebrating your love for simple pleasures, you might say: 'I dream of a world like Bukowski described, just cats and rain.'
More from Charles Bukowski
All quotes βwhen I am feeling low all i have to do is watch my cats and my courage returns
The masses are always wrong...Wisdom is doing everything the crowd does not do. All you do is reverse the totality of their learning and you have the heaven they're looking for.
I'm going to open another vottle. not a vottle, but a bottle. you open it and I'll drink it. and you try to write as much as I did without falling off of your chair.
To experience real agony is something hard to write about, impossible to understand while it grips you; you're frightened out of your wits, canβt sit still, move, or even go decently insane.
I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give up. I am polite. I nod. I pretend to understand because I donβt want anybody to be hurt. That is the one weakness that has lead me into the most trouble. Trying to be kind to others I often get my soul shredded into a kind of spiritual pasta. No matter. My brain shuts off. I listen. I respond. And they are too dumb to know that I am not there.
Similar quotes
I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.
The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.
Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"... "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine.
Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror - indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and happy - but it was an awe that smote and held him and, without seeing, he knew it could only mean that some august presence was very, very near.
Earth as an ecosystem stands out in the all of the universe. There's no place that we know about that can support life as we know it, not even our sister planet, Mars, where we might set up housekeeping someday, but at great effort and trouble we have to recreate the things we take for granted here.
Finally, by the sea, where God is everywhere, I gradually calmed.