Presence in Poetry and Tai Chi

An invisible thread lifts
the crown of my head,
its mind-made pull
creating space
for relaxation to grow.

Stanza in the poem “Root, Feel, Flow” by Howard Rosenberg

Both poetry and tai chi emphasize presence—being fully aware of and engaged in the moment. In tai chi, every movement is deliberate, connected to intention and often breath. The practitioner is not rushing to the next motion but fully inhabiting the present one. Similarly, poetry demands attention to each word, each pause, and the rhythm created by both what is said and what is left unsaid.

Meaning in both forms is not just in the obvious actions—the movements in tai chi or the words in poetry—but also in the spaces between. In tai chi, the transition between movements, the moment before shifting weight, and the softness between exertions hold as much significance as the motions themselves. Likewise, in poetry, the silence between lines, the choice of line breaks, and the unstated emotions lingering in white space shape the poem’s impact.

In this way, both tai chi and poetry cultivate a deep awareness of the present, where understanding comes not just from doing, but from sensing, feeling, and existing fully in the moment.

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“Root, Feel, Flow” is about the Preparation movement.

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Root, Feel, Flow

My feet shoulder-width apart,  
soldiers to my intent—my yi—  
pronounced like "e" in English,
awake, waiting . . . 

the earth pulsing
beneath me
its energy radiating like ripples
in still water,

extending umbilical cords 
into my two "bubbling wells," 
one in each sole,
connecting us,

its message transmitted
in a language few can feel,
its touch grounding me.  
 
An invisible thread lifts 
the crown  of my head, 
its mind-made pull 
creating space 
for relaxation to grow.

An unseen weight, 
a fisherman’s sinker, 
anchored deep at my tailbone,  
lowers me with the ease of a tide 
receding, yielding 
to the sea.

My body settles, 
no leaning,  
my breath barely stirring the air, 
ready . . .  

my arms float 
toward  the sky, 
slow as a caterpillar's crawl, 
wrists leading the rise,
each motion fluid, unhurried,
guided by the mighty yi.

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Allen Ginsberg, a famous poet of the Beat Generation in the fifties and sixties, was a defining voice of his era. He wrote a poem titled “Allen Ginsberg Does Tai Chi.” You can watch Ginsberg reciting the poem here and read its text here.