Paul Celan

The heart hid still in the dark, hard as the Philosopher's Stone.

Reality is not simply there, it must be searched and won.

Only truthful hands write true poems. I cannot see any basic difference between a handshake and a poem.

James Bond is quite serious about his drinks and clothing and cigarettes and food and all that sort of thing. There is nothing wry or amused about James Bond.

I was prom king. Which is actually saying I was the sixth most popular, because the five who were on homecoming were automatically disqualified from prom, so of course I have to look at it that way.

The thing about great poetry is we have no defenses against it.