Zen and Poetry

In this Dharma talk (August 12, 2026) , sangha member Tonie explores the deep connection between Zen practice and poetry. Both invite us to slow down, pay attention, and encounter the ordinary world with fresh eyes—before we rush to explain, categorize, or make meaning of it. Through some of her favorite poems by Wendell Berry and Robert Bly, along with poems from her own writing, Tonie reflects on how poetry can open us to presence, intimacy, and wonder. Like Zen, a poem does not always ask us to understand; sometimes it simply asks us to be here, fully, with what is.