January 20, 2026

Dear Sangha,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Saturday Morning Program on January 10 at Boundless Mind Temple and online. BZC Dharma Teachers Sarah Dōjin Emerson and Charlie Korin Pokorny led a beautiful exploration of the Zen tradition of writing death poems in the new year.
During the Dharma talk, Sarah Sensei and Charlie Sensei reflected on how this annual practice invites us to open up to impermanence and clarify what matters most in our lives. Afterward, many of you wrote and shared your own poems—offering words that were heartful, humorous, and profound. Not everyone had a chance to read aloud, and we know there are more voices waiting to be heard.
Whether you attended or not, we invite you to participate.
You can listen to the full Dharma talk recording here, which includes examples of poems by Zen masters and readings from Sarah and Charlie Sensei’s own writings. Then write and share your own death poem with the sangha.
Reflecting on impermanence and our limited time in this embodied form helps us focus on what we feel responsible to and how we want to spend our days. This practice, though sometimes uncomfortable, is a powerful way to care for ourselves and connect with what truly matters.
How to Submit: Email your poem and name to maiko@brooklynzen.org
Deadline for First Posting: February 17 (the first day of Lunar New Year 2026). If you miss this deadline, feel free to submit when you can—we may have future opportunities to share poems throughout the year.
Poems will be posted on our website and social media.
With gratitude,
Maiko