Before you go further, let me tell you what a poem brings, first, you must know the secret, there is no poem to speak of, it is a way to attain a life without boundaries.

A poem is a flexible thing, and a poem is a poem.

We can understand poetry from a billion - in a billion styles, experiment, tradition, combination, spice, meter, image. It's all there for the poet and for the listener and for all of us.

If I can only be known as one thing, then, well, I guess it would be poet and performer and teacher.

First grade was - I spoke only Spanish, and second grade - probably a bit more English. And by the time I hit third grade, I was learning, of course, much, much more English.

Poetry is a call to action, and it also is action.

Poetry can tell us about what's going on in our lives - not only our personal but our social and political lives.

I gave my voice to poetry.

The banner of the project is 'Casa de Colores.' Under that banner, I'm going to invite people to do a lot of good things. Perhaps working in groups, working on poetry.

My mother was a washerwoman - or a woman that cleaned houses in Texas... in Plano, Texas - who always loved poetry and always loved stories.

Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating...too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.

Man has a primary property right to his person and his labor.

If we strive for goals, relishing in the pleasure of circumstance, nothing is enjoyable, and life becomes purposeless.

Peace is the time it takes to reload your rifle.

I don't know what will become of this piece. Our brave critics will no doubt charge me with imitating Ravel's Bolero. Too bad - this is how I hear war.

You don't ever see a thriller with a spiritual backbone.

I think, in the longer view of things, there is a very powerful pull in the direction of participatory government.

I realized that if what we call human nature can be changed, then absolutely anything is possible. From that moment my life changed.

Then I moved down to the Bowery to this building where Debbie Harry lived. It was there that I started combining some clothes for her and continued doing the art and photography.

Whether it's making a film or raising my children, personally I'm striving to do the right things and to learn.