Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

She felt I was good at putting myself in another’s shoes but not so great at kicking off my own and having fun. Sometimes I’d get stuck in the other person for too long because that was easier than staying inside myself.

Belle used her fountain pen to make a full stop after the title on her page. I wanted to be that blue dot for a moment. And then for there to be nothing else after me. No lists, thoughts or longings. Just nothing at all.

When someone stands or lies too close I get the feeling I have to admit something, that I have to justify my presence

I’m crumpled like the screwed-up shopping list in the bin, waiting for someone to smooth me out and read me again.

we can’t simply swap God – he’s the strongest Pokémon card we have.

We are all just nachos in an enormous bowl.

If tears had a scent, no one would cry secretly any more.

Every loss contains all previous attempts to hang on to something you didn’t want to lose but had to let go of anyway

I can’t handle people crying – I want to wrap them up in silver foil like my milk biscuits and put them in a dark drawer until they’ve dried out.

I don’t want to feel any sadness, I want action; something to pierce my days, like bursting a blister with a pin so that the pressure is eased.