“One always writes for someone. Rarely for several people. Never for everyone.”
— Colette
“I am a pear that has survived a hailstorm: when it does not rot, it becomes better and sweeter than the others, in spite of its little scars.”
— Colette
“It is not a bad thing that children should occasionally, and politely, put parents in their place.”
— Colette
“Smokers, male and female, inject and excuse idleness in their lives every time they light a cigarette.”
— Colette
“Poetry does not necessarily have to be beautiful to stick in the depths of our memory.”
— Colette
“To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one.”
— Colette
“I love my past. I love my present. I'm not ashamed of what I've had, and I'm not sad because I have it no longer.”
— Colette
“It is wise to apply the oil of refined politeness to the mechanisms of friendship.”
— Colette
“You do not notice changes in what is always before you.”
— Colette