The words loved me and I loved them in return.

All poets, all writers are political. They either maintain the status quo, or they say, 'Something's wrong, let's change it for the better.'

Art... reacts to or reflects the culture it springs from.

So much of growing up is an unbearable waiting. A constant longing for another time. Another season.

The black artist is dangerous. Black art controls the 'Negro's' reality, negates negative influences, and creates positive images.

... in order to be a true revolutionary, you must understand love. Love, sacrifice, and death.

What I'm trying to do is to tell young people that I teach them how to breathe before I teach the haiku. That one breath, that one breath, because the haiku keeps you alive. It keeps you going. If you learn how to breath the haiku, you learn how to breathe. If you learn how to breathe, you're much healthier.