A nearly empty glass hourglass stands upright on pale grey ground with a tiny golden grain at its narrow centre.

Original artwork, not a still

Jareth

It's only forever, not long at all.

— Labyrinth

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The line puts the endless span of forever beside the claim that it is not long. That deliberate contradiction creates its humour and strangeness. Depending on context, it could sound reassuring or unsettling, but the words themselves playfully minimise an immeasurable stretch of time.

Context reviewed

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