Desperation Quotes

“And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung.

From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

“There he must, despite the anguish devouring his brain, present a face approximating the one that is associated with ordinary events and companionship. He must try to utter small talk, and be responsive to questions, and knowingly nod and frown and, God help him, even smile. But it is a fierce trial attempting to speak a few simple words.”
― William Styron, Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

“NOVIA. ¡Porque yo me fui con el otro, me fui! (Con angustia.) Tú también te hubieras ido. Yo era una mujer quemada, llena de llagas por dentro y por fuera,y tu hijo era un poquito de agua de la que yo esperaba hijos, tierra, salud; pero el otro era un río oscuro, lleno de ramas, que acercaba a mí el rumor de sus juncos y su cantar entre dientes. Y yo corría con tu hijo que era como un niñito de agua, frío, y el otro me mandaba cientos de pájaros que me impedían el andar y que dejaban escarcha sobre mis heridas de pobre mujer marchita, de muchacha acariciada por el fuego. Yo no quería, ¡óyelo bien!, yo no quería. ¡Tu hijo era mi fin y yo no lo he engañado, pero el brazo del otro me arrastró como un golpe de mar, como la cabezada de un mulo, y me hubiera arrastrado siempre, siempre, siempre, aun que hubiera sido vieja y todos los hijos de tu hijo me hubiesen agarrado de los cabellos.”
― Federico García Lorca, Bodas de sangre

“Between death and hell a bridge shining silver wings offers his soul hope.”
― Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams

“I just didn't want to be a loser anymore...

-Mitsuko Souma”
― Koushun Takami, Battle Royale

“Maybe it is desperation," I say. "Maybe we can't let things fall apart without trying. We can't let go of the people we love."

He looks at me, and in the sunlight his eyes come alive with greens and golds. "Sometimes we can," he says.”
― Lauren DeStefano, Sever

“Don't judge me. Ethics and morality no longer exist in our world. It's a luxury of the past, afforded only to those who had a future.”
― T.M. Williams, Undead Winter

“I think humans have always been desperate. I think it has always been about doing something awful if it might help, when the only other option is death. Maybe that's what being a parent is supposed to feel like.”
― Lauren DeStefano, Sever

“The veneer of civilization fell away to reveal desperate animals, humanity at their worst.”
― Travis Luedke, The Nightlife: Paris

“Love me. You have destroyed everything! But if you love me, it can all be restored in a new form. Love me.”
― Anne Rice

“If you can't find an answer at the mall or the library, what does that say about the world?”
― Joan Bauer, Thwonk

“A woman's voice answered, "Hello?"
Walter cried back at her, "Hello, oh Lord, hello!"
"This is a recording," recited the woman's voice. "Miss Helen Arasumian is not home. Will you leave a message on the wire spool so she may call you when she returns? Hello? This is a recording. Miss Helen Arasumian is not home. Will you leave a message -"
He hung up.
He sat with his mouth twitching.
On second thought he redialed that number.
"When Miss Helen Arasumian comes home," he said, "tell her to go to hell.”
― Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles

“SONG OF DAWN

I saw the sun rise by accident.
It was a horrible sight.
Annoyed by its splendor, I sought refuge
in a moist pillow, and lay there, alone,
at the dawn of another day,
that brought me closer to another death,
pondering the vanity of my solitude,
the vanity of procrastination,
and the tiresome inevitability of waking up
again the same person.
It might still be possible to change,
but obstinately I remain the same,
hoping that others might take solace
in my consistency.
But perhaps they take no solace in it,
perhaps they too find it tedious.”
― John Tottenham, Antiepithalamia: & Other Poems of Regret & Resentment

“How horrible to think what we may wish for, lay in anguish for, may be within our reach but we are unable to see them.”
― D. Morgenstern

“Brianna peered through the large window into the sea of plexiglass cradles. Each infant, so small and precious, belonged to someone. Someone who cared for them. Someone who loved them. Brianna sniffled and turned away, unable to bear the thought that she had no one.”
― J.E.B. Spredemann, Amish by Accident

“These last few months Vida had started believing in all kinds of strange things she'd have laughed at when we lived back in Avalon. She'd tried every spell she could find in the dusty old books she brought home from thrift shops and garage sales; none of them ever worked, and it was awful watching her try.”
― Judith Clarke, Starry Nights

“At 6:15 she was standing on her front porch watering gardenias and watching another line of thunderstorms split and go around her. The same thing happened almost every day. Some days they came so close all she could smell was the rain. The wind whipped up dust from the fields until it drove like buckshot into the shuddering mesquites, and Clara Nell started to pray. 'Jesus,' she whispered. 'Jesus, Jesus....' But the only thing that came out of the sky was her topsoil. Every day the wind took a little more, and it hadn't rained in almost a year.”
― Andrew Geyer, Whispers in Dust and Bone: Andrew Geyer

“...don't you realize a flawless profile means nothing when a mere smile drives me to desperation? Don't you covet that power?..”
― John Geddes, A Familiar Rain

“Jared. I have a past" I almost whispered
"Who doesn-" I interrupted him
"Please just let me speak and then you can tell me what it is you want." He nodded and l continued. I hated this. I hadn't told people. But he could find out and he would; I had to tell him.”
― Mercy Cortez (LiveForeverAnon)

“The truth is, living in any society is difficult. Those who become desperate with a fractured sense of security are much more prone to being taken advantaged of.”
― John-Talmage Mathis, For the (soon) unemployed: You Against Them