I am a poet in deeds — not often in words.

To be a poet in deeds is to say that a life can have beauty, feeling and meaning even when the person living it is awkward with language. The speaker admits to few fine words, but claims that what he does carries the emotion a poem would. The idea sits close to the old proverb that actions speak louder than words, and it echoes the Greek root of "poet," which meant a maker. Poetry, on this view, is something you make and do, not only something you recite. It also fits the reticent, understated type of man Fleming wrote about in his spy fiction, though I can't point to a source for this exact line, so its attribution to him should be treated with some caution.

In everyday life, it can be a gentle permission for people who struggle to put feelings into speech. Someone who can never find the right words for a grieving friend might simply turn up with a home-cooked meal, stay for an hour, and wash the dishes before leaving. The gesture says what a speech could not. The quote also carries a small warning: deeds must actually happen, because quiet affection only counts if it is acted on.