Painterly car side mirror showing swirling stars and a glowing clock face.

Original artwork, not a still

Jack Kerouac

Maybe that’s what life is… a wink of the eye and winking stars.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Kerouac wonders whether life is just a blink and some twinkling stars. He makes existence sound brief, bright and easy to miss. It's a wistful, dreamy guess rather than a firm claim, offered with a "maybe".

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