Wendell Berry, a truly wise man, died at age 92 on August 31. Let’s let him speak for himself on the topic of death right off. The following 4 part poem is from his book The Country of Marriage: Testament 1. Dear relatives and friends, when my last breath Grows large and free in air, don’t call it death — A word to enrich the undertaker and inspire His surly art of imitating life; conspire Against him. Say that my body cannot now Be improved upon; it has no fault to show To t

Wendell Berry: An Invitation Into Seeing by NanLeah The Peace of Wild Things When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind

If a line or phrase resonates with you, we invite you to use it as a starting point to create your own poem. We welcome you to share your poem with the IPM community here. This poem was included in IPM's August 2026 Newsletter. Access the full Newsletter here.

Dear Poetic Medicine Friends, The call of poetry-as-healer has such deep roots in my life. I suddenly remembered a particular root the other day. I want to share with you that connection/root from 1975 of reaching the marginalized with poetry. Please read on! Stephen Levine, Joy Shieman & My Path of Poetic Medicine Usually, I say that it got going in 1981 when I first met Stephen Levine as a participant in his Conscious Living, Conscious Dying retreats. I became more than a p

Honoring the Life and Service of Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen by John Fox, PPM The Institute for Poetic Medicine offers a deeply felt gassho* bow to the life and service of Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. Surrounded by loved ones, Rachel passed away peacefully on August 8, 2026. She was 88 years old. Commonweal, the Cancer Support Place and Community she founded with Michael Lerner in 1976, writes: Join us in celebrating the life of one of Commonweal’s most beloved voices: Rachel Naomi Rem

Dear Poetic Medicine Friends, Gathered here are essays, poems, photographs given to me by those who in very significant ways helped with the visit of Diné Elder, Lupita McClanahan from Canyon de Chelly in Arizona to Mountain View and Carmel Valley, CA. Lupita’s talks, The Path of Hozho-Teachings of the Beauty Way In Difficult Times, brought together many people thirsty for sane, spiritual reflections and direct experience of what it is to live on this earth in a conscious and

If a line or phrase resonates with you, we invite you to use it as a starting point to create your own poem. We welcome you to share your poem with the IPM community here. This poem was included in IPM's July 2026 Newsletter. Access the full Newsletter here.

Dear Friends of Poetic Medicine, How is your summer? I hope summer is bringing uplift and flourishing green. For millions of people, however, especially in the American East, Mid-West and in Europe, summertime is bringing extreme, life-threatening heat. The fires in Canada have sent intense smoke into the northeast part of the country. That level of heat and smoke aren't anything to mess around with. Please keep yourself hydrated and as cool as you can be. Please find safe an

If a line or phrase resonates with you, we invite you to use it as a starting point to create your own poem. We welcome you to share your poem with the IPM community here. This poem was included in IPM's June 2026 Newsletter. Access the full Newsletter here.

If a line or phrase resonates with you, we invite you to use it as a starting point to create your own poem. We welcome you to share your poem with the IPM community here. This poem was included in IPM's May 2026 Newsletter. Access the full Newsletter here.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We are taking this opportunity to share with you some of the IPM Community Partners and their programs with mental health focus. May 1-31st Poetry and Horses Crescent Moon Center IPM's collaboration with Crescent Moon Center focuses on bringing free poetry and wellness workshops to adults in recovery, veterans, BIPOC mothers, disabled adults, LGBTQ+ community members, immigrants, refugees, and suicide-loss survivors throughout the Bay Are

March 10, 1939 to March 1, 2026 “I am sure most of you would agree – my mother was unique. Some of you have shared wonderful notes and words to describe her many qualities. One that stands out to me is her determination. When she was determined to learn something, she never gave up. In the late 1960’s she wanted to learn more about meditation.” Debby McIsaac - McRock from her Eulogy on April 18, 2026 Self Realization Temple, Encinitas, CA I am writing to you in appreciation