Tuning Fork
by Bob Schwartz
Tuning Fork
Strike and resound
A single perfect note
Against which
Our poor play is practiced.
The texts are ancient
Thoughts in a case
Replaced by the
Younger and fresher.
This tuning fork
Centuries old.
Bring me a gadget
A gizmo
To give me my pitch.
Ah but
The warm simple beauty
Of the vibrating metal
Is the practice
Before the practice.
Bob Schwartz 
the practice
Before the practice… I like that!
Thanks. I try not to throw around Zen, too overtly or covertly, because it is overused, abused, misrepresented, misunderstood. But regular readers are aware of my leanings. Those lines, and the poem, do reflect Zen. In fact, it wrote itself while I was reading the Heart Sutra. But that’s a story for another day…. Thanks again for the comment.