✨ Daiō's Poetry Corner✨

Who is Daiō?

Spoken Word Poet | Teaching Artist | Community Collaborator

📍 Portland, Oregon
📧 atomicpoetrypunk@gmail.com
📷 @poetry.by.daio
☕ Ko-fi | 📰 Substack
🎶 Regular Jo(e) the Musical

Daiō, (formerly Sage Lilac) is a spoken word poet exploring the intersections of family trauma, the transgender experience, nature, and forgiveness. Her work lives at the intersection of raw storytelling, social healing, and spiritual inquiry. Rooted in the high deserts of central Oregon and now based in the city of Portland, she uses poetry as a tool for self-knowledge, community connection, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

🌈 Performance Highlights

• Portland Poetry Slam - Grand Champion (2024)
• Featured performer in the Magnificent Queer Tarot (2025)
• Featured performer in the Portland Queer Arts Spectacular (2024) – with piano accompaniment by Matt Katz
• Opening act for Levi the Poet (2024)
• Competing Poet in the Bigfoot Regional Poetry Festival, Portland, OR (2019, 2023, 2024)
• Women of the World Poetry Slam, Dallas, TX (2020)
• Write About Now (YouTube Feature) (2019)
• Anarchy Slam, Treefort Music Fest, Boise, ID (2019)
• Utah Arts Festival – Individual & Team Poetry Slam (2019)
• Featured poet at Portland Poetry Slam, Portland, OR (2019)
• Individual World Poetry Slam, San Diego, CA (2018)
• Opening act for Buddy Wakefield (2014)
• Featured Reader at the Nature of Words Fundraiser Gala (2013) (audience of 300+ authors)

📚 Publications

• Featured Poet on Write About Now (YouTube) (2019)
• Nailed Magazine
• Asexual Aces (Facebook)
• Bigfoot Regional Poetry Anthology
• Chapbook: "Describe Your Dysphoria in Four Letters" (2019) – illustrated by Mikal Faust
• Broadside: "I Always Wanted…" (2024) – illustrated by 'Athoughtbytim'
• Upcoming: Full-length manuscript in development

🎭 Collaborations

• Composer Sarah Mattox – poetry adapted to music for Women in Music concert (2019); full length musical in progress utilizing Daiо̄'s original poetry as lyrics
• Ongoing visual collaborations: broadsides, stickers, and chapbook art with Portland-based artists including Mikal Faust and Tim from "athoughtbytim.com"
• Multiple group piece poems with various local poets

🏅 Awards & Slam Glory

• Portland Poetry Slam – Grand Champion (2024)
• Final Stage performer at Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam (2023)
• Gold Medalist for the Portland Poetry Slam Olympics (2023, 2024, 2025) – invitational slam
• Portland representative for the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Dallas, TX (2020)
• Rising Star Creative Writing Award – The Nature of Words (2013)
• SpeakNOW Poetry Slam Champion – Bend, OR (2012)
• Numerous finalist/featured performer placements across the national poetry slam circuit

🧘 Zen & Community

• Resident at Dharma Rain Center (2023-current)
• Served 9 months as an oblate
• Precepts taken in 2022
• Discipleship Jukai in 2024
• Head gardener (2023-2025)
• Have sat more than 15 week-long sesshin
• Experienced meditation in more than a dozen temples
• Regularly brings Buddhist meditation into 6 different correctional institutions, including 1 maximum security prison and 1 youth correctional facility

🥸 Teach us, teacher!

• "campOUT" Portland Summer Camp Program "campoutportland.org"
• "The Nature of Words" Literary Arts Center
• Spoken word teaching artist (school residencies & after school programs)
• Monthly facilitator of Zen Poet Society at Dharma Rain Zen Center. Leads workshops, discussion of classical Zen poetry, and feedback circles
• Ongoing mentor and support presence for new poets in Portland Poetry Slam scene

🌟 Artistic Philosophy

"Spoken word is a communal art form. Daiō believes in earning respect through vulnerability, consistency, and support. As both a performer and mentor, she helps new poets feel seen, heard, and held in their artistic process. Whether she's offering draft feedback in a Zen garden, spotlighting a queer voice on stage, or sharing a mic with musicians and visual artists, her mission is clear: poetry is connection; connection is always collaborative."

📝 Sample Poems