I wonder if I don't give too much of myself to writing: I am always half where I am; the other half is feeding the furnace, kick-starting the heat of creativity. I am making love with someone but at the same time I'm noticing how this graceful hand across my belly might just fit in with the memory of lilacs in Albuquerque in 1974.

You live and then you die, I thought. It's good to have some good times.

Clarity and perseverance are difficult in American society because the basis of capitalism is greed and dissatisfaction.

First, consider the pen you write with. It should be a fast-writing pen because your thoughts are always much faster than your hand. You don't want to slow up your hand even more with a slow pen. A ballpoint, a pencil, a felt tip, for sure, are slow. Go to a stationery store and see what feels good to you. Try out different kinds. Don't get too fancy and expensive. I mostly use a cheap Sheaffer fountain pen, about $1.95.... You want to be able to feel the connection and texture of the pen on paper.

Don't let yourself be thrown away....Continue on no matter what....Continue to make a positive effort for the good.

All of us can create if we allow ourselves to.

One poem or story doesn't matter one way or the other. It's the process of writing and life that matters.