Suchness — Summary

Dave BontaContemplative

Organs play for the moss in the garden, the great beauty walks to cook: my Zen.

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Three short lines, and the poem still manages to feel complete. The speaker describes a small scene: organs playing for the moss in a garden, and a woman of great beauty walking off to cook. Then comes the punchline, "my Zen." That's the speaker's version of enlightenment, and it's nothing grand.

The title, "Suchness," points to the idea of seeing things exactly as they are. The poem seems to put that into practice. Organs, which we might expect in a church or concert hall, play for something as humble as moss. The "great beauty" isn't posed or admired from a distance; she's heading to the kitchen. High and low sit side by side without any fuss.

The mood is calm, a little playful, and quietly content. The speaker doesn't explain or argue. The tone suggests that peace comes from noticing, and that music, beauty and dinner preparations all belong to the same ordinary, wonderful day.

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