Daniel Henry Rodgers Poet Narrative

Notes About The Poem

I found this poem very challenging to write, as it depicts the journey of a man who suffers from trauma-induced mental health issues, such as psychosis, delusions, dissociation, and madness. As an ongoing mental health counselor for many years, I empathize with my clients facing similar challenges.

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Descent To Ascent

……Somewhere a lone survivor of a plane crash

A man of sound and reason 
   standing tall and proud. 
But a voice of lies and madness 
   whispering words of doubt. 
His mind a fortress sturdy 
   no shadows in the crowd. 
But a path of doom and darkness 
   waiting to break out.

Delusions like a serpent, 
   coiling in his brain, 
Paranoia like a venom, 
   oozing from his core. 
Twisting truth and logic, 
   driving him insane. 
The world a hostile army, 
   waging endless war.

Dissociation like a vise, 
   squeezing his soul tight, 
A mirror of identity, 
   shattered into shards.
Lost within the maze, 
   his selfhood out of sight. 
The pieces of his being, 
   scattered near and far.

Psychosis like a demon, 
   dancing in his mind, 
The music of madness, 
   playing its eerie song. 
Illusions like a spider, 
   weaving webs to bind. 
As his grip on sanity, 
   was slowly being wronged.

Not working…..
He found a radio, a possible voice of hope and light.
…..Working

Then a change of course, 
   a turn of fate’s design, 
A mind once plunged in madness, 
   now rising to the fight. 
From blackness to brightness, 
   a force of hope divine. 
An ascent from affliction, 
   a story of great might.

As his grip on sanity was 
   slowly being restored, 
Illusions like a spider 
   weaving webs to break. 
The music of madness 
   playing its final chord. 
Psychosis like a demon 
   dancing in his wake.

The pieces of his being 
   scattered near and far, 
Lost within the maze his 
   selfhood comes to light. 
A mirror of identity 
   shattered into stars. 
Dissociation like a vise 
   squeezing his soul bright.

The world a hostile army 
   waging endless peace.
Twisting truth and logic 
   driving him to sane. 
Paranoia like a venom 
   oozing from his fleece. 
Delusions like a serpent 
   coiling in his mane.

But a path of doom and darkness 
   waiting to fade out. 
His mind a fortress sturdy 
   no shadows in the crowd. 
But a voice of lies and madness 
   whispering words of doubt? 
A man of sound and reason standing tall and proud?

A lone survivor of a plane crash……

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Andrea Dietrich January 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM I liked how you made it come full circle. I hope his sanity wins out. How cool you are a mental health counselor you have the empathy for it Daniel Henry Rodgers January 25, 2025 at 6:23 AM Dear Andrea, I a so pleased you came back to this poem specifically for I truly wanted to use the same types of phrases in both the descent and ascent. Sort of a play on phrasing. Some f my greatest joys are helping someone ascend from their disorders. Thank You! Winter Blessings, My Dear Friend, Daniel

Sara Kendrick June 13, 2024 at 1:16 PM We have a grandson who lives with us who has a brain disease called Huntington's Disease. He will stop taking his medicine and when he does, he starts getting worse and worse until we don't know what he might do. Most of the time I can't get him back to taking it unless I call for help. I think sometimes one day he is going to do that, and we are going to get hurt or killed and the end results will not be a happy one for everyone around. Thanks for sharing this one with us. Sara K Daniel Henry Rodgers June 17, 2024 at 6:15 AM Dear Sara, your vulnerability in sharing your family's struggles is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Facing such immense challenges with courage and compassion is a testament to your strength. I pray solutions for the complex realities many families navigate. You have my deepest empathy and admiration for persevering through the difficulties of Huntington's Disease. Blessings, My Dear Friend, Daniel.

Duke Beaufort February 28, 2024 at 11:11 AM Daniel, this is an interesting exploration of the effects of trauma. The soul you describe had a dose of everything bad--you certainly captured that with excruciating detail. The path in each direction makes this intriguing. I think it insightful that you use a plane crash as the trigger. On a personal note, one of my jobs before retirement involved investigation of aircraft accidents. Just seeing them caused me some distress. I imagine you suffer to some extent when you see affected souls. Daniel Henry Rodgers February 29, 2024 at 5:46 AM Hello Duke, Your insightful comment on my poem deeply touches me. Your experience with aircraft accidents lends weight to your observations. Trauma's impact, vividly depicted, reveals a soul's journey through adversity. Thank you for your profound insight and empathy. - Blessings, Daniel

Lady Labyrinth November 29, 2023 at 10:52 PM this, "Dissociation like a vise, squeezing his soul tight, A mirror of identity, shattered into shards. Lost within the maze, his selfhood out of sight. The pieces of his being, scattered near and far." Lady Labyrinth November 29, 2023 at 10:53 PM Accurate. Lady Labyrinth November 29, 2023 at 10:53 PM Profound write. Overall. Profiler, or Occupant.