I thought to spend my declining years writing poetry and teaching - but that won't pay the Bergdorf's bill. I think I'll move to somewhere life is cheaper.

Poetry is the language we speak in the most terrifying or ecstatic passages of our lives. But the very word poetry scares people. They think of their grade school teachers reciting 'Hiawatha' and they groan.

You pick up loads of baggage with your first record with reaction to it from fans and critics. So I went to Ireland by myself for a couple of weeks with my guitar. I read lots of poetry I read Patti Smith's autobiography and started words and phrases and then songs started to take shape.

Poetry for me is as much a spiritual practice as sexual ecstasy is.

My films are an extension of my poetry using the white screen like the white page to be filled with images.

Everything is complicated if that were not so life and poetry and everything else would be a bore.

Money is a kind of poetry.

Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth.

I think there are things in my story that have helped my creativity. Your father being killed for instance is one of the best things that could happen to a kid if he's going to write poetry or songs.

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.