Yusef Komunyakaa Quotes

See how forgiving - how brave nature is.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

Years ago you followed someonehere, in love with breathkissing the nape of your neck,back when it was easy to beat least two places at once.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

We were born between Oh Yeah& Goddammit. I knew lifeBegan where I stood in the dark,Looking out into the light,& that sometimes I could seeEverything through nothing.The backyard trees breathedLike a man running from himselfAs my brothers backed awayFrom the screendoor.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

A goddess of dawnscooted under a zing of barbed wireto witness your birth.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

Go & tell your drinking buddies& psychoanalyst your neighborhas risen from the ashes. I wonderif I should tell you about the love lettershidden behind the doorjamb. This housestill stands among my lavender flowers.Tell your inheritors to think of mewhen they smile up at the sky.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

I'm turning you into a girlchasing a butterfly, a she-wolfon a hilltop, & then back into a woman.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

Students often have such a lofty idea of what a poem is, and I want them to realize that their own lives are where the poetry comes from. The most important things are to respect the language; to know the classical rules, even if only to break them; and to be prepared to edit, to revise, to shape.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

I originally wanted to embrace the imagery and forthrightness of rap music. There are some interesting, dynamic voices in rap. But I find most of it irresponsible in its overt violence and commercialization of anger. As artists, we believe we can will action through language. If that's the case, we have to take responsibility for what we say.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa

Through the years I have seen myself as a peaceful person, but the awareness of the anger is part of that process.

~ Yusef Komunyakaa