A poet is not something you become; a poet is something you are.

In masks and gown we haunt the street And knock on doors for trick or treat Tonight we are the king and queen, For oh tonight it's Halloween!

My reading is extremely eclectic. Lately I've been teaching myself computer graphics, so I'm reading a lot about that. I read books of trivia, of facts.

Then I decided to draw from and on my own imagination, and everything came out perfect.

She comes by night, in fearsome flight, in garments black as pitch, the queen of doom upon her broom, the wild and wicked witch.

We all need ways to express ourselves, and poetry is one of mine.

I'm mostly influenced by life, what's around me, and my own childhood.

Writing gives me the opportunity to explore ideas, play with language, solve problems, use my imagination, and draw on my own childhood.

Poetry seems to sink into us the way prose doesn't. I can still quote verses I learned when I was very young, but I have trouble remembering one line of a novel I just finished reading.

Children seem naturally drawn to poetry - it's some combination of the rhyme, rhythm, and the words themselves.

I always knew would be some sort of artist, but didn't know what.

It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one.

The purpose of religion is to enhance love, compassion, kindness, and care.It teaches us forgiveness, humility, tolerance, patience, and to share.

Every time someone tells me I can't do something the more I want to do it, not to prove them wrong but because I always knew I could do it.

I grew up in a neighborhood in Baltimore that was like a war zone, so I never learned to trust that there were people who could help me.

He who is not impressed by sound advice, lacks faith.

When you are lonely, when you feel yourself an alien in the world, play Chess. This will raise your spirits and be your counselor in war

Pleasure itself is painful at the bottom.

We have to see that all regions of India, particularly the east and west, are brought on par in development parameters.

Joy is never tomorrow it's always now!

I'm a big believer that good policy is good politics. And so, when it comes to making decisions on policy issues, what I endeavor to do is simply speak the truth.