I love you because no two snowflakes are alike, and it is possible, if you stand tippy-toe, to walk between the raindrops.

[To write poems] I think it's important to do research, and research mostly is going to come from books, so all of your reading is potentially helpful to your poetry.

If everybody became a poet the world would be much better. We would all read to each other.

If culture was a railroad, I can see the tracks running from the Spirituals to the Hip Hop Nation.

The unwillingness to try is worse than any failure.

There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.

Iife/personality must be taken as a total entity. All of your life is all of your life, and no one incident stands alone.