Sadness was a very heavy thing.

After all, when a stone is dropped into a pond, the water continues quivering even after the stone has sunk to the bottom.

Here again, I saw life in all its noisy excitement passing me by.

We don't become geisha because we want our lives to be happy; we become geisha because we have no choice.

Passion can quickly slip to jealousy, or even hatred.

If those sorts of moments would be the only pleasure life offered me, I'd be better off shutting out that one brilliant source of light to let my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness.

A mouse who wishes to fool the cat doesn't simply scamper out of its hole whenever it feels the slightest urge.