Who says my poems are poems? My poems are not poems. When you know that my poems are not poems, Then we can speak of poetry!
— Ryokan, Zen monk & poet (1758-1831)
All are invited to participate in a monthly night of poetry in the City Center Bookstore.
Facilitated by Kevin Starbard and Christopher Robin Gallagher, this offering will take place once a month.
This month, we are ecstatic to announce that we are featuring acclaimed poet and author Andrey Aleshintsev!
We welcome you to express yourself, down to the marrow of your heartstrings. These are painful and extraordinary times that we are living in. Please let us know what you have to say.
Invite your friends and loved ones to witness your take on the current state of affairs, and/or existence as a whole. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you there.
Christopher Robin Gallagher
Christopher Robin Gallagher has served as the Program Registrar and Senior Reservationist for San Francisco Zen Center since 2015. He has performed poetry throughout North America for close to thirty years. Here is a sample of the message that he is hoping to uplift the human race with:
My heart breaks like porcelain
Over the beauty of it all
I'm not sure where to begin
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
Kevin Starbard
Kevin Starbard has been curating Zen Arts events at City Center since 2022.
He currently serves as Bookstore Manager at City Center, and has practiced at all 3 SFZC temples, and at Toshoji temple in Tokyo.
Andrey Aleshintsev
Andrey Aleshintsev is the author of The Primal Verses, published by Ajion Press. Volume 1, Zero to One, gathers 62 illustrated spiritual poems across three reading paths—Seeker, Wanderer, and Sage. Drawing from Sufi mysticism, Eastern philosophy, and contemporary consciousness studies, his work treats poetry as pathwork: verse meant to be walked, not only performed. Learn more at https://www.primalverses.com/about.
This is a free public event. No registration is required.