Today riches and honours have been lavished on me, but one gift has been lacking, the most important one of all, the only one that matters, the gift of youth.

Small jerks began to appear in my legs, my walk became unsteady precisely because I wanted it to be smooth.

The intelligent poor individual was a much finer observer than the intelligent rich one. The poor individual looks around him at every step, listens suspiciously to every word he hears from the people he meets; thus, every step he takes presents a problem, a task, for his thoughts and feelings. He is alert and sensitive, he is experienced, his soul has been burned.

No worse fate can befall a young man or woman than becoming prematurely entrenched in prudence and negation.

Do you know what constitutes a great poet? He is a person without shame, incapable of blushing. Ordinary fools have moments when they go off by themselves and blush with shame; not so the great poet.... If you really have to quote someone, quote a geographer; that way you won't give yourself away. (p 44)

What will I do when I can no longer dig?

And love was creation's source,creation's ruler; but all love's ways are strewn with blossoms and blood, blossoms and blood.