“It was late, I was drunk, you were warmto my hand, I would say, pleasedon’t leave, touch me there, butyou neverI was late, you were drunk, it was warmto my hand, I would want, justto please, you were there, butI neverI was warm, you were late, it was drunkto my touch, I was justlate to want, but I wouldleave you never”

“Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you. And see, you were within and I was in the external world and sought you there, and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely created things which you made. You were with me, and I was not with you. The lovely things kept me far from you, though if they did not have their existence in you, they had no existence at all. You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.”

“Lately I was near the beehives and some of the bees flew onto my face. I wanted to raise my hand, and brush them off. 'No,' said a peasant to me, 'do not be afraid, and do not touch them. They will not sting you at all, if you touch them they will bite you.' I trusted him; not one bit me. Trust me; do not fear these temptations. Do not touch them; they will not hurt you.”

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.”

“You were drunk. I wanted to hear the words when you were of sound mind. Women get drunk all the time and confess their undying love to me.”

“It was late, and we were tired.We assumed there would be other nights.Anna’s breathing started to slow, but I still wanted to talk.She rolled onto her side.I said, I want to tell you something.She said, You can tell me tomorrow.I had never told her how much I loved her.She was my sister.We slept in the same bed.There was never a right time to say it.It was always unnecessary.The books in my father’s shed were sighing.The sheets were rising and falling around me with Anna’s breathing.I thought about waking her.But it was unnecessary.There would be other nights.And how can you say I love you to someone you love?I rolled on my side and fell asleep next to her.Here is the point of everything I have been trying to tell you, Oskar.It’s always necessary.”