Notes About The Poem

Morning Comes to Huatung (Huadong) Valley

Daniel Henry Rodgers

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“At daybreak, the world turns softly—
ancient valleys hold misted promise
as new light gathers each story in dew.”
- Poet

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Morning Comes to Huatung Valley

Mist feathery drifts
last night’s breath loosening
above basalt slopes of Huatung

Pacific swallows trace morning brushwork
over Fuli’s rice paddies
new green scented with rain.

Xiuguluan River flows jade mountain-born 
among ancestral stones
white willows in Ruisui weep
dew-kissed
cycad fronds catching first sunlight

Leaf pearls gather on my thatched sandals
Walami earth holds stories in its coolness.

Bihe Pond rests hidden in Wanrong’s stillness
waters reflecting the tribe’s quiet prayers

Bamboo leaves in green and gold
crested mynas gather in quiet repose
wind moves with the chime of a temple bell.

Ancestral path wanders into the Central Range
oolong tea clouds drift
above Qilai’s blue ridges

A white egret lifts over Guangfu’s terraces
air clear as poured Longjing.

A bulbul calls
blue magpie glides
the slow unlayering of day

Huatung Calligrapher’s span warm to newborn light
time unspools—
bright
unmeasured.

Light widens

dawn follows Yu Shan’s shadowed valleys

the world in quiet promise
soft light
drifting into morning.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

Poem

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12
Evangeline Avatar
August 10, 2025 at 7:50 AM
wow, Daniel. rice fields and valleys are hardly my favourite scenery, but you described it so beautifully it drew me in. a truly worthy POTD.
Rodgers Avatar
August 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Dear Vanya, I hope your summer is going well. I was so happy to see your note and am very thankful. Blessings, My Dear Vanya, Daniel
Crandall Avatar
August 7, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Beautiful description Daniel
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Hello David, Thank you so much for your kind words. Blessings, My Friend, Daniel
M  Avatar
August 3, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Daniel, my husband worked and we lived in Vietnam for a few years way back when. It was a time when Vietnam was less affected by western ways. It was the most beautiful, exciting, scary, memorable time of my adult life….l felt exhilarated there. Your beautiful, exquisite peaceful poem with wonderful imagery took me right back there to one of the happiest times of my life….so thankyou for that! Congrats my friend on an amazing POTD! Debx
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Dear Deb, Your words wrapped around me like warm air rising off the valley floor at first light. I read your note and just sat with it for a whilee, quiet, grateful, moved. Thank You! Blessings, My Dear Deb, Daniel
Gauthier Avatar
August 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Feels beautiful and nostalgic. Congrats on your POTD, Daniel ~
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Dear Line, Yes, it is a truly magical place in the world. Blessings, My Dear Line, Daniel
Dietrich Avatar
August 1, 2025 at 9:19 PM
This is so picturesque. Sounds like quite a the exotic place. Congrats on POTD.
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Dear Andrea, Thank you so much for your kind note and I imagine there are many places around the world that feel almost too good to be true and that is why I enjoyed writing about this place. Blessings, My Dear Andrea, Daniel
Rodrigues Avatar
August 1, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Congrats on POTD!
Buhagiar Avatar
July 31, 2025 at 5:31 AM
I see you got a POTD. Don't often check. My congratulations for the award and for the beautiful poem you wrote. Great imagery. Makes me yearn I never visited Taiwan before. Great description, dear Daniel.
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Dear Victor, I am like you that sometimes I do not check who got POTD or POTW. Thank you so much and I appreciate your thoughts. One of my very good friends is from Taiwan and he was telling me about it. Blessings, My Friend, Daniel
Goldsmith Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Congratulations on your POTD win. I enjoyed reading your wonderful write and quote. What a great picture you have here. Have a blessed day with your win...........
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Dear Paula, Thank you so much for your blessings. After I write my poems I spend a great deal of time looking for the right picture. Blessings, My Dear Paula, Daniel
Rodrigues Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 8:29 AM
I enjoyed your poem! This is one that could have used audio since I don’t know the prononunciation of these places. Ilove the imagery - basalt slopes, white willows in Ruisui weep…Bamboo leaves in green and gold crested mynas. I always enjoy! Have a blessed day, dear Daniel!
Rodgers Avatar
August 8, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Dear Kim, Your note made my day and thank you so much for reading my poem and sharing your thoughts! You always pick up on the details that matter to me. It’s funny you mentioned the pronunciation for I sometimes forget how tangled these place names can get if you haven’t heard them aloud. Maybe next time I’ll record myself reading it for you, so you can hear them sing the way they do in my head. Blessings, My Dear Kim, Daniel
Williams Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Dearest Daniel, your poem is so exquisitely layered... each line breathes with reverence and grace. I could feel the morning dew on my skin and smell the rain-sweetened paddie fields. Your imagery flows like the Xiuguluan River itself—gentle, wise, and quietly powerful. The mention of ancestral stones and temple bells stirred something deep in me… this is not just poetry, it's a prayer wrapped in light. Thank you for this meditative journey into Huatung’s Soul. Congratulations on your well deserved POTD...Hugs
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Dearest Maria, Your words washed over me like the gentle current of the Xiuguluan, so full of warmth, insight, and grace. Your calling this poem a prayer wrapped in light touches the heart of what I hoped to offer. Thank you for joining me on this meditative journey and for your beautiful spirit that shines through your words. Summer Blessings, Dear Maria, Daniel
Hind Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Haunting in its beauty- Congrats on POTD!
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Dear Paige, How could the celebration not be complete without your wonderful comments? Thank You! Summer Blessings, Dear Paige, Daniel
Ray Choudhury Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Dear Daniel, Congratulations on your honour of POTD with this brilliant poem. "Huatung Calligrapher’s span warm to newborn light time unspools"..and again "the world in quiet promise soft light drifting into morning." Your imagery depicting a serene and peaceful morn, is simply captivating! Enjoyed your breathtaking portrayal of nature's pristine beauty.
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Dear Malabika, Thank you so much for your beautiful words and thoughtful reflection on the poem. Knowing you found peace and beauty in the morning’s light makes this honor even more special. Your appreciation inspires me deeply. Summer Blessings, Dear Malabika, Daniel
Alhemaidy Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Hello Daniel Henry Rodgers :-) Congratulations on your POTD! Beautifully nice imagery of Asia, far East! Have a nice day ~ AA
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Hello Abdullah, I am blessed to have a friend like you who takes the time to celebrate together. Summer Blessings, My Friend, Daniel
Nicole Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
' the world in quiet promise, soft light drifting into morning. ' So delicate, indeed. Moments bring peace at daybreak. Especially when you look at the beauty that surrounds you. Your heart is lifted. I'm curling your thoughts gently around me. This is beyond breathtaking, my sweet friend. Congratulations Daniel, on Poem of the Day. My best to you. :) Hugs, Brandy
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Dearest Brandy, Your words wrapped around me like that first light of day gentle, glowing, full of grace. I’m so touched that the poem stirred something peaceful in you. Knowing you’re curling those thoughts around your heart means the world to me. You always read with such tenderness and depth and it’s a gift I never take for granted. Sending love and hugs always, Dear Brandy, Daniel
Buehler Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I'm back with delighted congratulations on your POTD, Daniel. Enjoy your special day! Blessings and hugs.:)
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Dear Evelyn, I am glad you are back and thanks for celebrating our poetry together. Summer Blessings, My Dear Evelyn, Daniel
George Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 9:28 AM
You have painted the slow unfolding of a peaceful morn. With each brush stroke, a lovely scene unfolds.....paddy fields of new green scented with rain, cycad fronds catching first sunlight, bamboo leaves in green and gold, mynas, egrets, bulbul and magpie calling and gliding. I feel I am thrown into the pulsing heart of a country side, rich in nature's variety and pristine beauty. A lovely poem dear Daniel. Congratulations on your POTD
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Dear Valsa, Your words are poetry in themselves. I read them slowly, with gratitude, feeling the care and beauty in every line you wrote. You didn’t just read it; you lived it with me. Thank you for that gift. Summer Blessings, My Dear Valsa, Daniel
Anaya Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The imagery of a misty morning in a faraway and enchanting land is intruging me. Congratulations on your POTD, Daniel! Your unique and varied poetry is always a pleasure to read. Best to you, __Anaya
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Dear Anaya, Your words brought such a smile to my heart and thank you for stepping into that misty morning with me. Your support and thoughtful presence always make the journey richer. It means so much to have a friend like you who truly sees. Summer Blessings, My Dear Anaya, Daniel Wishing you continued inspiration and light,
Lane Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Nicely written are your eloquent lines of an Asian paradise, Daniel. Congratulations on layering your lines as softly as the unlayering of a Huatung day.
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Dear Lin, Your words were like a quiet breeze through bamboo, graceful, kind, and deeply felt. I’m so touched. Thank you for experiencing and for celebrating the poem’s spirit with me. Summer Blessings, My Dear Lin, Daniel
Baker Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Another FAV, another POTD honor for your poetry, Daniel. What a pleasant and enjoyable way to enter a day. The imagery was soothing and beautifully describes this scene. Your research or thorough knowledge of the area is obvious thought the completeness of the picture your words so finely paint. Nature is indeed soft, gentle and welcoming in the silence of early dawn. Thank you for sharing your creative vision with us my friend. Congratulations! Enjoy this day God has given us. Bill
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Dear Bill, Your words felt like a sunrise in themselves so warm, thoughtful, and full of grace. I’m so grateful you took the time to notice the care behind the imagery and the heart behind the scene. Thank you for walking into the quiet of that morning with me. Summer Blessings, Bill, Daniel Let’s keep finding beauty in the days God gives us. With gratitude and friendship,
Wolf Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Beautiful imagery in your POTD, Daniel. Congratulations! ~ Gershon
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Hello Gershon, I truly enjoyed reading your comments and the poem itself brought me a great deal of joy while writing. Summer Blessings, Gershon, Daniel
Fowler Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 6:57 AM
A great spiritual peace fell over me as I read and re-read this beautiful poem dear Daniel. So deserving of POTD. Congratulations! :)
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Dear Linda, you filled my soul this morning and so happy to have you read and absorb my poem. The win is even greater to have a friend like you. Summer Blessings, My Dear Linda, Daniel
Gentile Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 4:27 AM
Daniel, congratulations on your POTD honors! Just incredible imagery here! Enjoy your day!!
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Hello Mike, What a joy to see your note this morning and I am always appreciative of your friendship. Summer Blessings, Mike, Daniel
Kavanagh  Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Congratulations Daniel on a very spiritual and well written POTD, has all the mythical imagery associated with dawn rising over a Taiwanese Shangri la, beautiful poem, cheers David
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Hello David, First thanks for your congratulations. Before I wrote this I had found a new symphonic piece from Taiwan about Huantung Valley that touched my soul and prompted me to begin my research on The Huatung Valley and that is where the inspiration started. Thanks for your friendship and comments. Summer Blessings, David, Daniek
Kitchin Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Daniel, wonderfully penned with beautiful imagery. Congratulations on POTD.
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Dear Tania, I am certainly grateful to have my poem recognized but even more grateful for your friendship. Summer Blessings, Dear Tania, Daniel
Etgen-Baker Avatar
July 29, 2025 at 3:07 AM
returning to congratulate you, Daniel, on a well-deserved POTD
Rodgers Avatar
July 30, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Dear Sara, I am so glad that you are back with your poems and comments, and I have missed those days. I am also glad to have you and Bill as my dear friends to celebrate with. Daniel
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