To be a poet is a condition, not a profession.

A poet never takes notes. You never take notes in a love affair.

The poet knows himself only on the condition that things resound in him, and that in him, at a single awakening, they and he come forth together out of sleep.

I am a gypsy, in a way. It's a condition of my profession.

If two people stare at each other for more than a few seconds, it means they are about to either make love or fight. Something similar might be said about human societies. If two nearby societies are in contact for any length of time, they will either trade or fight. The first is non-zero-sum social integration, and the second ultimately brings it.

It will help erase the idea that politics is a second-rate profession and a dirty business.