“And I think that it is certainly possible that the objective universe can be affected by the poet. I mean, you recall Orpheus made the trees and the stones dance and so forth, and this is something which is in almost all primitive cultures. I think it has some definite basis to it. I'm not sure what. It's like telekinesis, which I know very well on a pinball machine is perfectly possible.”

“Most of my friends like words too well. They set them under the blinding light of the poem and try to extract every possible connotation from each of them, every temporary pun, every direct or indirect connection - as if a word could become an object by mere addition of consequences. Others pick up words from the streets, from their bars, from their offices and display them proudly in their poems as if they were shouting, "See what I have collected from the American language. Look at my butterflies, my stamps, my old shoes!" What does one do with all this crap?”

“At least we both know how shitty the world is. You wearing abeard as a mask to disguise it. I wearing my tired smile. Idon't see how you do it. One hundred thousand universitystudents marching with you. TowardA necessity which is not love but is a name. ”

“See how weak prose is.... Presently I shall go to a bar and there one or two poets will speak to me and I to them and we will try to destroy each other or attract each other and nothing will happen because we will be speaking in prose.”

“Well Dennis you don't have to hear anyof the mountain music they play here. Telling the young lies so that they can learn to get old. Favouring themwith biscuits. "It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg toDanville, declension on a three mile grade." In either casecollision course. You either pick up the music or you don't.”

“The poet is stepping out of the airplane. ”

“ANY FOOL CAN GET INTO AN OCEAN BUT IT TAKES A GODDESS TO GET OUT OF ONE.”