To me, a poem is almost like someone whispering to another person, or you hear the whispering in your head. I hope with my own poems that the reader feels a connection, soul to soul, that'll help us all feel a little less alone on the planet. And it does have the power to direct change. A writer can make the word 'dark' be something positive. You can relieve a word like 'hysterical' of its misogynistic implications. You can make the language your own. That's what poetry is about.

If we really want to be full and generous in spirit, we have no choice but to trust at some level.

I have a high guilt quotient. A poem can go through as many as 50 or 60 drafts. It can take from a day to two years - or longer.

I thought, after the Pulitzer, at least nothing will surprise me quite that much in my life. And another one happened. It was quite amazing.

All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, This is when I became myself.

Everybody who's anybody longs to be a tree.

I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding.