“How many nights must it takeone such as me to learnthat we aren’t, after all, madefrom that bird that flies out of its ashes,that for usas we go up in flames, our one workisto open ourselves, to bethe flames?”
Galway Kinnell“That's the way it is with poetry: When it is incomprehensible it seems profound, and when you understand it, it is only ridiculous.”
Galway Kinnell“How many nights must it takeone such as me to learnthat we aren’t, after all, madefrom that bird that flies out of its ashes,that for usas we go up in flames, our one workisto open ourselves, to bethe flames?”
Galway Kinnell“The budstands for all things,even for those things that don’t flower,for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; though sometimes it is necessaryto reteach a thing its loveliness,to put a hand on its browof the flowerand retell it in words and in touchit is lovelyuntil it flowers again from within, of self-blessing”
Galway Kinnell“Little sleep's-head sprouting hair in the moonlight,when I come backwe will go out together,we will walk out together among,the ten thousand things,each scratched too late with such knowledge, the wages of dying is love.”
Galway Kinnell“When a group of people get up from a table, the table doesn’tknow which way any of them will go.”
Galway Kinnell, Three Books: Body Rags; Mortal Acts, Mortal Words; The Past