there is enough treachery , hatred violence absurdity in the average human being to supply any given army on any given day

I have seen too many men wilt and go silly under a little light, and then they continue to write and get published, turning out pure crap under a name that has become a bad habit. The next poem is all that counts. You can't stand on past poems.

When I begin to doubt my ability to work the word, I simply read another writer and know I have nothing to worry about. My contest is only with myself, to do it right, with power, and force, and delight, and gamble.

Things get bad for all of us, almost continually, and what we do under the constant stress reveals who/what we are.

It’s hard to drink when you dance. And it’s hard to dance when you drink.

some men never die and some men never live but we're all alive tonight.

I think that the world should be full of cats and full of rain, that's all, just cats and rain, rain and cats, very nice, good night.