“... was after all a rather mature blossom, such as could be plucked from the stem only by a vigorous jerk.”

“Fabulous" Jack said, reaching down and plucking a crimson flower. A small scream sounded from it as he severed the stem. He smiled maliciously, then started stomping with abandon through the beds of blossoms, a chorus of tinny, shrill screams punctuating every step.”

“Youth is a blossom whose fruit is love; happy is he who plucks it after watching it slowly ripen.”

“Youth is a blossom whose fruit is love; happy is he who plucks it after watching it slowly ripen.”

“Oh, what a catastrophe, what a maiming of love when it was made personal, merely personal feeling. This is what is the matter with us: we are bleeding at the roots because we are cut off from the earth and sun and stars. Love has become a grinning mockery because, poor blossom, we plucked it from its stem on the Tree of Life and expected it to keep on blooming in our civilized vase on the table.”

“Freedom is the only thing we must demand in life, for all other good things stem from it”