Randall Platt > Quotes

“Can you go over to the feed and seed? I'm worried about my bonsai. They're probably thirsty, maybe scared, maybe loney, especially The Old Man. I moved him up there a few weeks ago. . . . I take him up there when he needs some warm, moist air and sometimes, well, to be with his old friends."

"Yes, he's talking about midget trees. He gives me a list with each bonsai's name. I told you how nuts-and-bolts he is about them. He tells me how to touch the soil and feel if they're thirsty. And talk to them! I must be sure to talk to them.”
― Randall Platt, Incommunicado

“In this greenhouse I see how much he loves this collection of bonsai trees. Each one has a name, age and a place of birth engraved on brass plaques. Most of them come from places I've ever heard of before. Mr. Kaye says each bonsai has its own life story and he knows every one of them. When I was a kid, he used to tell me some of the stories, but he was probably just making it all up. He always told me bonsai were balanced, but in a lopsided way.”
― Randall Platt, Incommunicado

“The Old Man's all gnarled and sort of crippled looking. Well, who wouldn't be when you're that old [600 +years]? The pine needles are so teeny-tiny and the greens are vivid like the ocean in the summer. Even the moss shines up at me. Mr. Kaye told me the moss and The Old Man are inseparable friends and one would die without the other.”
― Randall Platt, Incommunicado

“Talk kindly. No gossip or gibberish, Never talk down to them-they're not children.”
― Randall Platt, Incommunicado