My father had wanted to name me for Dylan Thomas. He had seen him speak on one of those drunken poetry tours he did.

The urge to write poetry is like having an itch. When the itch becomes annoying enough you scratch it.

For poetry there exists neither large countries nor small. Its domain is in the heart of all men.

Too many people in the modern world view poetry as a luxury not a necessity like petrol. But to me it's the oil of life.

Well I write a lot of poetry - that's where it usually all starts. I definitely want to show you guys sides of me - love loss heartbreak - all of that good stuff!

Reality only reveals itself when it is illuminated by a ray of poetry.

I use rock and jazz and blues rhythms because I love that music. I hope my poetry has a relationship with good-time rock'n roll.

Stadium rock and commercial rock are the opposite of what poetry needs. An audience of around 200 is ideal for poetry.

Freedom is poetry taking liberties with words breaking the rules of normal speech violating common sense. Freedom is violence.

The first question at that time in poetry was simply the question of honesty of sincerity.

Clarity clarity surely clarity is the most beautiful thing in the world A limited limiting clarity I have not and never did have any motive of poetry But to achieve clarity.

Poetry's always dead you know? You don't realize how good poetry is until 15 years later.

Literature is a state of culture poetry is a state of grace before and after culture.

I used to joke that if acting didn't work out poetry was my commonsense fallback.

I wish you would read a little poetry sometimes. Your ignorance cramps my conversation.

I was kind of an outcast in school 'cause I always kept to myself and was writing poetry and then going on tour with my brother band all the time so kids didn't know what to make of me.

There's one of my new poems actually - is a good example of where my poetry has ended up. My earlier river poetry was more like a cross between Shelley and Dylan Thomas.

Well - I started writing - probably in the early 60s and by say '65-'66 I had read most of the poetry that had been published - certainly in the 20 years prior to that.

Well I guess the plan was to write poetry and publish books and make a living from writing poetry. That was a pretty ambitious plan I guess.

Well I like to write poetry. I'm a published poet.

One of the things I've always liked about my husband is he's very good at lots of stuff. He was an English teacher when I met him. He wrote poetry and played the guitar. As time went on he decided to go into economics so he's very analytical and mathematical in addition to his artsy side.

Some Marines made fun of the fact that I had done plays and studied poetry but then I won the award for physical training.

But poetry is a way of language it is not its subject or its maker's background or interests or hobbies or fixations. It is nearer to utterance than history.

All I knew about Ethiopia was from a few records that I like as well as what I read about the famine. But you get there and it's another world. It's filled with art and music and poetry and intellectuals and writers - all kinds of people.