Quotes From "Benediction" By Kelly Moran

She needed to come with an instructional manual. And one...
1
She needed to come with an instructional manual. And one not written in Spanish. Kelly Moran
Orgasms are a myth. Like good credit scores.
2
Orgasms are a myth. Like good credit scores. Kelly Moran
I loved you as a boy and fell in love...
3
I loved you as a boy and fell in love with you as a man. You’re in here so deep that there is no you, no me. Only us. Kelly Moran
He needed a stiff drink. With a side of straightjacket.
4
He needed a stiff drink. With a side of straightjacket. Kelly Moran
5
Matters of the heart were important, but people tended to put too much stock in the particular organ when, in retrospect, it was only tissue. It pumped blood and the body couldn’t live without it, sure, but it had no actual bearing on love. The soul was what made a person distinct–the part that lived on after death, how one being connected to another, and what bound essence. Kelly Moran
6
He could’ve penned a rendition of Moby Dick in Pig Latin and he wouldn’t have been the wiser. Kelly Moran
7
He bit back a weary sigh and tried to remember strangling her would solve squat. Kelly Moran
8
Considering she’d just blown his gray matter into the ether, he was screwed. Kelly Moran
9
Urges. Mercy, the urges. Kelly Moran
10
And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet joy of revenge. How it feels good to get even. Oh, that was a nice idea Jesus had. That was a pretty notion, but you can't love people who do evil. It's neither sensible or practical. It's not wise to the world to love people who do such terrible wrong. There is no way on earth we can love our enemies. They'll only do wickedness and hatefulness again. And worse, they'll think they can get away with this wickedness and evil, because they'll think we're weak and afraid. What would the world come to? But I want to say to you here on this hot July morning in Holt, what if Jesus wasn't kidding? What if he wasn't talking about some never-never land? What if he really did mean what he said two thousand years ago? What if he was thoroughly wise to the world and knew firsthand cruelty and wickedness and evil and hate? Knew it all so well from personal firsthand experience? And what if in spite of all that he knew, he still said love your enemies? Turn your cheek. Pray for those who misuse you. What if he meant every word of what he said? What then would the world come to? And what if we tried it? What if we said to our enemies: We are the most powerful nation on earth. We can destroy you. We can kill your children. We can make ruins of your cities and villages and when we're finished you won't even know how to look for the places where they used to be. We have the power to take away your water and to scorch your earth, to rob you of the very fundamentals of life. We can change the actual day into actual night. We can do these things to you. And more. But what if we say, Listen: Instead of any of these, we are going to give willingly and generously to you. We are going to spend the great American national treasure and the will and the human lives that we would have spent on destruction, and instead we are going to turn them all toward creation. We'll mend your roads and highways, expand your schools, modernize your wells and water supplies, save your ancient artifacts and art and culture, preserve your temples and mosques. In fact, we are going to love you. And again we say, no matter what has gone before, no matter what you've done: We are going to love you. We have set our hearts to it. We will treat you like brothers and sisters. We are going to turn our collective national cheek and present it to be stricken a second time, if need be, and offer it to you. Listen, we-- But then he was abruptly halted. Kent Haruf
11
Her sudden grin depleted some of his brain cells. She was evil like that. Kelly Moran
12
That dress was designed to be a kill switch for rational thought. Kelly Moran