I'm conscious of a series of circles working its way through my life. And at this particular moment I have come round to the beginning of my writing cycle. It begins with poetry. There's hardly a day that goes past on which I don't write poetry.

Most people read poetry listening for echoes because the echoes are familiar to them. They wade through it the way a boy wades through water feeling with his toes for the bottom: The echoes are the bottom.

Anticipating that most poetry will be worse than carrying heavy luggage through O'Hare Airport the public to its loss reads very little of it.

I did not have a very literary background. I came to poetry from the sciences and mathematics and also through an interest in Japanese and Chinese poetry in translation.

When you're going through something whether it's a wonderful thing like having a child or a sad thing like losing somebody you often feel like 'Oh my God I'm so overwhelmed I'm dealing with this huge thing on my own.' In fact poetry's a nice reminder that no everybody goes through it. These are universal experiences.

Poetry involves the mysteries of the irrational perceived through rational words.

Nothing truly convincing - which would possess thoroughness vigor and skill - has been written against the ancients as yet especially not against their poetry.

Listen real poetry doesn't say anything it just ticks off the possibilities. Opens all doors. You can walk through anyone that suits you.

If you read quickly to get through a poem to what it means you have missed the body of the poem.

Poetry is the opening and closing of a door leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment.