I live in Santa Cruz. I moved here in 1974 and couldn't leave.

Poetry is the most intimate of all writing. I want to speak first from me to myself and then from me to you.

Visualizing how you want to be is [an] effective way to move toward your goal.

There's a part of every living thing that wants to become itself: the tadpole into the frog, the chrysalis into the butterfly, a damaged human being into a whole one.That is spirituality.

I wanted to be a writer since I was in high school, but I never thought it was possible.

So much inspires me. People living their lives with courage, beauty of all kinds, nature in all its aspects, people I love and people I hardly know, and, of course, other poets.

Then you hold life like a face between your palms, a plain face, no charming smile, no violet eyes, and you say, yes, I will take you I will love you, again.