A Beautiful Form Of Expression

Pyramid Poetry is a simple poetry form Justin Stone originated. In its very simplicity, so much is revealed. (Justin describes it well in Chapter 7 of Climb The Joyous Mountain.) At the invitation of the T’ai Chi Chih conference committee, I introduced it to the group. Some teachers have written this form of poetry for many years; others had heard about it not yet tried their hand at composing; and still others were brand new to the idea.

The form includes seven lines with words of specific length:

1st line – 1syllable

2nd line – 2 syllables

3rd line – 3 syllables

4th line – 4 syllables

And then reverse:

5th line – 3 syllables

6th line – 2 syllables

7th line – 1syllable

The last syllable, often a full word, may express a powerful climax. Sometimes, when we look at the first and last syllables, we see an even shorter, and very sweet, message.

It’s important not to think too much about what we’re writing but instead let the words flow from us. It helps to be quiet for a few minutes and then just start writing. Often, then, we see what our inner being may be contemplating; it can be very revealing. Our deepest being is always encouraging us to learn more about ourselves, and what’s really going on inside. We often manage to be just busy enough in our lives to not have time to turn inward and listen. At the end of a day, instead of contemplating the highest within us, many times we spend time reviewing our hurts and anxieties. It could be much healthier to contemplate what our highest self is trying to reveal.

Fellowship was a mainstay of the conference; our connections also supported our efforts to turn inward and write. The lush, green hotel grounds and large river running nearby provided the beauty and space to be nourished not only by our practice and TCC community, but also by nature. This was an inspiration for some teachers’ wonderful poems and we posted them on a bulletin board for others to enjoy. It’s amazing what can happen when we open our hearts to the beauty of the Chi. Writing Pyramid Poems can be yet another way to do so. Justin often encouraged us to spend a meaningful evening just writing Pyramid Poetry, perhaps inviting others to join us. It could lead to learning new ways to share both love and the Chi.