“At the very beginning of my creative life I loved humanity. I wanted to do something good for mankind. Soon I understood that it isn’t possible to save mankind.”

“One more comment from the heart: I’m old fashioned and think that reading books is the most glorious pastime that humankind has yet devised. Homo Ludens dances, sings, produces meaningful gestures, strikes poses, dresses up, revels and performs elaborate rituals. I don’t wish to diminish the significance of these distractions-without them human life would pass in unimaginable monotony and possibly dispersion and defeat. But these are group activities above which drifts a more or less perceptible whiff of collective gymnastics. Homo Ludens with a book is free. At least as free as he’s capable of being. He himself makes up the rules of the game, which are subject only to his own curiosity. He’s permitted to read intelligent books, from which he will benefit, as well as stupid ones, from which he may also learn something. He can stop before finishing one book, if he wishes, while starting another at the end and working his way back to the beginning. He may laugh in the wrong places or stop short at words he’ll keep for a life time. And finally, he’s free-and no other hobby can promise this-to eavesdrop on Montaigne’s arguments or take a quick dip in the Mesozoic.”

“Inspiration is not the exclusive privilege of poets or artists. There is, there has been, there will always be a certain group of people whom inspiration visits. It's made up of all those who've consciously chosen their calling and do their job with love and imagination…Difficulties and setbacks never quell their curiosity. A swarm of new questions emerges from every problem that they solve. Whatever inspiration is, it's born from a continuous 'I don't know.”

“When I pronounce the word Future,the first syllable already belongs to the past.When I pronounce the word Silence,I destroy it.”

“Musi być do wyboru,Zmieniać się, żeby tylko nic się nie zmieniło.To łatwe, niemożliwe, trudne, warte próby.Oczy ma, jeśli trzeba, raz modre, raz szare,Czarne, wesołe, bez powodu pełne łezŚpi z nim jak pierwsza z brzegu, jedyna na świecie.Urodzi mu czworo dzieci, żadnych dzieci, jedno.Naiwna, ale najlepiej doradzi.Słaba, ale udźwignie.Nie ma głowy na karku, to będzie ją miała.Czyta Jaspersa i pisma kobiece.Nie wie po co ta śrubka i zbuduje most.Młoda, jak zwykle młoda, ciągle jeszcze młoda.Trzyma w rękach wróbelka ze złamanym skrzydłem,własne pieniądze na podróż daleką i długą,tasak do mięsa, kompres i kieliszek czystej.Dokąd tak biegnie, czy nie jest zmęczona.Ależ nie, tylko trochę, bardzo, nic nie szkodzi.Albo go kocha albo się uparła.Na dobre, na niedobre i na litość boską.”

“Whatever inspiration is, it's born from a continuous "I don't know."...That is why I value that little phrase "I don't know" so highly. It's small, but it flies on mighty wings. It expands our lives to include spaces within us as well as the outer expanses in which our tiny Earth hangs suspended...Poets, if they're genuine, must always keep repeating "I don't know.”

“I prefer the absurdity of writing poemsto the absurdity of not writing poems.”