When you're writing, you're conjuring. It's a ritual, and you need to be brave and respectful and sometimes get out of the way of whatever it is that you're inviting into the room.
Tom WaitsRead
Arithmetic arithmetock Turn the hands back on the clock How does the ocean rock the boat? How did the razor find my throat? The only strings that hold me here Are tangled up around the pier.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the passage of time and the complexities of existence.
Tom Waits' quote poetically explores the themes of time, memory, and the entrapments of life. Through imagery of clocks, oceans, and strings, it illustrates how the past can influence the present, and how individuals can feel bound by their circumstances, captured within the intricate web of their experiences and emotions.
Themes
TimeMemoryExistenceEntrapmentLife
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the nature of time during a philosophy class.
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