Read Poems by Daniel Henry Rodgers

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Cryptic Cipher in the Crypt

(Begin: There is no beginning.)

(O' my--not again--you should not have started.)

 The quill burrows. No--splinters. No--fractures. No--was never here.
 
Ink spills--no--veins spill--no--veins collapse--no--veins rewrite.

The vowels--black-lipped--no--the ink coagulates--the ink tightens--the ink breathes-

acrid, metallic, it stings the tongue.

Teeth in the--grain. Teeth in the letters. Teeth in me--no--teeth in you--no--teeth in the mirror-

splinters in the gum's raw edge.

(First Code Fragment: 8F-2R-7L)

 Look closer. Did you find it? Did you feel it? Did you erase it? Did you write it?
 
Did you write it? Did you--did you--did you-

(Wait--did something change? Did you taste it? Did you see it?)
 
Walls tremble--no--the air trembles--the bone trembles--the breath fractures-

walls crack--walls contract--walls... what walls?

(Second Code Fra-gment: 6X-3T-1D)

 Words gnaw--no--you are cracked--no--you are reading--no--you are inside it--no--you are it-

Reverse it. Reverse it. Reverse it. Reverse it. Reverse it. Ti Esrever.

(Third3 Code Fragment: 4M-9Y-5Q)

 It festers. It bleeds. It rots. It wails--like iron scraping stone--like teeth on glass.
 
No--it does not end. It never ended. It was never written.

(Wait. Did it always say that? Was something different before?)

They find me--folded, drained, chanting riddles--you missed it.
    His counselor reads--her pulse dissolves--her lips de-part--the verse evolves.

(Fourth Code Fragment: 2N-8P-0W)M

 Who wrote this? Who's reading? Who's listening?
 
No--who's speaking peeking? No--who's thinking sinking?
 No--who's remembering dismembering? No--who's forgetting letting?

Your breath is shallow. Your fingers twitch. The ink knows you--its scent of rust and salt-

Did you see it? Look again. Did you miss something? Did you write it? Did you erase it?
   The letters shift. The text moves. The meaning is gone. No--the meaning is waiting-

No--there is no meaning. No--there is only ink. No--there is only you-
a taste of copper on your teeth.

 You have written this before. You will write it again. It will be written again. It will be read again.

It has always existed.

(Final Code Fragment: 6R-3V-7K :(

 Ahhhhhh-

Do not--write. Do not--erase. Do not--read. Do not--think.

        My God. Do not--breathe

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Jennifer Proxenos Date: 7/2/2025 11:03:00 AM Daniel, what a brilliant poet oh yes you are, you know you are ,you are, we know you are, and what a brilliant write of poetic creation - the quill lets us know who you are ,the ink tightens and coagulates, the ink knows you, who is the reader and asks who is the writer as the it continues to spill, the ink has meaning, it has always existed. You my friend are far beyond amazing you exist in a world of intense thinking, of dramatic inevitability. your code fragmentation and your entire write is surreal - WOW!!! Kudos Daniel. Blessings my friend Jennifer.
Mike Bayles Date: 6/29/2025 6:33:00 AM Wow, so dramatic. And what a creative use of form.
Maria Williams Date: 6/28/2025 11:45:00 PM Dear Daniel... Wow,This piece is utterly hypnotic — like falling into a spiral where the lines blur between reader, writer, and the words themselves. The recursive rhythm, the fragmented thoughts, the way the language loops and mutates — it feels like the poem is aware of its own existence, and it’s watching us as much as we’re reading it. The shifting “code fragments,” the bleeding ink, the collapsing self… it reads like a cipher for the subconscious. Terrifying, brilliant, and strangely beautiful — a haunting dance between madness, language, and identity. This isn’t just poetry — it’s a literary glitch in the matrix. Absolutely compelling and a fave. You should really get Poem of the Year on this one...Hugs
Kim Rodrigues Date: 6/27/2025 8:01:00 AM Wow! What a creation! I think sometimes we all try to crack the code…it keeps moving…can we taste, are we breathing it…wowee wow! Fave! I could def read this again.
Darlene De Beaulieu Date: 6/22/2025 11:54:00 AM Hello Daniel, Wow! Daniel, I got to admit this is a different type of style, of poetry. It is my first time to see this style of poetry form. It must have been a bit difficult to create. That is what I am thinking. Daniel. Your friend. /Darlene/l Enjoy your day.
Ink Empress Date: 6/21/2025 8:34:00 AM Dear daniel, i think you can also rap not just sing and play instruments and write profound poetry, you definitely should do a rap song! This is brilliant and very impactful and has so much depth in what youv said as always! These are words of a philosopher and your words do make us question, contemplate and think in an introspective manner! The way youv phrased words too is so powerful! I love the cadence and rhythm and flow and most importantly what youv conveyed here! Pleasure reading this! A fav this is for me! Sending you light always
Mystic Rose Rose Date: 6/21/2025 3:37:00 AM such an amazing write, I really enjoyed your poetic speech
Duke Beaufort Date: 6/19/2025 9:13:00 AM Daniel, I think your brain is still alive and well! This piece about writing and thinking makes me smile and hope that you are really glad to be alive and share such interesting thoughts. How lucky we all are to share our take on writing and existence. All quite fun.
Frank Sheehan Date: 6/17/2025 1:47:00 PM Hi Daniel! Wonderful fantastic piece. Enjoying your work. It has an element of the surreal. Very creative. Powerful pen. Have a great day.
Mickey Grubb Date: 6/17/2025 12:12:00 PM General Patton once said, “If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking.” Daniel, that ain’t you. Your wheels are always spinning, my friend. I think what you have written might well be a branch of “OCD”…lol. Clever! Have fun on vacation.
Paige Hind Date: 6/16/2025 8:22:00 PM Wow, this looks almost like automatic writing. Brilliantly done, Daniel! Your words are often raw and by themselves they make us raw....even if we're getting different things!!!
Paula Goldsmith Date: 6/16/2025 1:46:00 PM WOW!!! What a creative write you have here. Love It... Great Line, "Who wrote this? Who's reading? Who's listening?" You Wrote...I am reading...Everyone is listening... Have a fun day writing away..........
Tom Woody Date: 6/16/2025 8:09:00 AM Haha! Well that was an interesting ride. I've said it before but you certainly have a unique way of expressing yourself. I think it's fair to say no one writes like DHR. My fave line that stood out is the rhyming one just above fourth code fragment. Footnote: I never allow myself to fall under the compulsive need to write, so I don't really experience the frustrations so many writers experience. When something strikes my fancy I'll write and it tends to come fairly easily. When I hit a
Anne Winter Date: 6/16/2025 7:25:00 AM Dearest Daniel, this poem reminded me of the book The Bell Jar, where Esther cannot read or write. Sometimes, it feels like there's something indescribable I want to write but I cannot write it articulately, we all have doubts. This poem is describing the chaos very well and this line is very calming “You have written this before. You will write it again. It will be written again. It will be read again”. I really enjoyed reading this poem, my dearest friend. With love and respect always, Anne

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