“The vast silence of Buddha overtakes and overrules the oncoming roar of tragic life that fills alleys and avenues; it blocks the way of pedicabs, police, convoys.” WaySilencePoliceBlockTemplesTragicVietnamAvenuesAlleysTragic Life Book:Making Peace Source: Making Peace
“I believe every space and comma is a living part of the poem and has its function, just as every muscle and pore of the body has its function. And the way the lines are broken is a functioning part essential to the life of the poem.” WayBelieveBodyI BelieveLinesSpaceBrokenEssentialsFunctionMuscles Book:The poet in the world Source: The poet in the world
“When you're really caught up in writing a poem, it can be a form of prayer. I'm not very good at praying, but what I experience when I'm writing a poem is close to prayer. I feel it in different degrees and not with every poem. But in certain ways writing is a form of prayer.” WayFeelsWritingDifferentFormCertainPrayerPrayingDegreesVery GoodCaughtCaught Up Author:Denise Levertov
“In certain ways writing is a form of prayer.” WayWritingFormCertainPrayerHealing Author:Denise Levertov
“Looking, Walking, Being, I look and look. Looking's a way of being: one becomes, sometimes, a pair of eyes walking. Walking wherever looking takes one. The eyes dig and burrow into the world. They touch, fanfare, howl, madrigal, clamor. World and the past of it, not only visible present, solid and shadow that looks at one looking. And language? Rhythms of echo and interruption? That's a way of breathing. breathing to sustain looking, walking and looking, through the world, in it.” WorldWayLooksSometimesEyePastLanguageWalkingShadowRhythmBreathingVisiblePairsEchoesHowlInterruptionsClamorFanfare Book:Sands of the Well Source: Sands of the Well
“In city, in suburb, in forest, no way to stretch out the arms - so if you would grow, go straight up or deep down.” IfsWayGrowsGrowthCitiesArmsForestsDeep DownSuburbsStraight Up Book:Conversations with Denise Levertov Source: Conversations with Denise Levertov
