A loose horse is any horse sensible enough to get rid of its rider at an early stage and carry on unencumbered.

The rattle of plastic keys reminds me of a squadron of butterflies failing to fight their way out of a paper bag.

The great thing about living until you get a bit older if you are a writer, and especially a poet, is that you have more life to reflect on. And I think that if I am better now - and I think that I am probably better than I was - is because that I simply have more to think about, more to get under control, more to understand.

Generally it is our failures that civilize us. Triumph confirms us in our habits.

How much atonement is enough? The bombing must be allowed as at least part-payment: those of our young people who are concerned about the moral problem posed by the Allied air offensive should at least consider the moral problem that would have been posed if the German civilian population had not suffered at all.

Like a Volvo, Bjorn Borg is rugged, has good after-sales service, and is very dull.

A luxury liner is really just a bad play surrounded by water.