“And weeping fast as she had breath
Janet implored us, "Wake her from her sleep!"
And would not be instructed in how deep
Was the forgetful kingdom of death.”

“I saw how all the trembling ages past,
Moulded to her by deep and deeper breath,
Neared to the hour when Beauty breathes her last
And knows herself in death.”

“And her sleep was too long and deep for that:so deep that she left her normal reality behind.”

“Don't wake up a woman in love. Let her dream, so that she does not weep when she returns to her bitter reality”

“Imagine who she would be if we unleashed her onto the world. I think she would rip the breath from all of us.”

“She sleeps!—so sleeps the wretch beside the stake:
She sleeps!—how dreadful from such sleep to wake!”

“she held her breath, and in her head, counted seconds. She pretended that for each second she didn’t breathe, God would grant her another day”

“Mariam always held her breath as she watched him go. She held her breath and, in her head, counted seconds. She pretended that for each second that she didn't breathe God would grant her another day with Jalil.”

“So you’ll forget her and move on.”

I suppose I will. As soon as I forget how to breathe.”

“Later Buddy told me the woman was on a drug that would make her forget she'd had any pain and that when she swore and groaned she really didn't know what she was doing because she was in a kind of twilight sleep. I thought it sounded just like the sort of drug a man would invent. Here was a woman in terrible pain, obviously feeling every bit of it or she wouldn't groan like that, and she would go straight home and start another baby, because the drug would make her forget how bad the pain had been, when all the time, in some secret part of her, that long, blind, doorless and windowless corridor of pain was waiting to open up and shut her in again.”