Notes About The Poem

On The Cutting Stone

Daniel Henry Rodgers

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“Some days I am the storm. Today I’m the puddle no one steps in, just something to avoid, that waits to be dried up and forgotten.”
– Poet

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On the Cutting Stone

Some days I fly like an eagle,
some days I waddle like a duck—
today I’m fried chicken
crispy, cold, out of luck.
 
Some days I run with wild horses,
some days I hunt with the wolfpack—
today I’m a belly-up snake
on asphalt cracked and black.
 
Oh, how I swam with dolphins,
struck like white sharks through foam—
today I’m gutted salmon,
smoked and salted far from home.
 
On the cutting stone.
 
Some days I prowl like a panther
through jungle thick and green—
today I am scraps for rodents
on a stranger’s kitchen floor unseen.
 
Some days I howl with coyotes
at moons both dark and bright—
today I’m roadkill possum
as vultures circle, rip and fight.
 
Now I feel like a broken song
my voice ground coarse and gray,
wondering what cruel appetite
has left me spayed flayed betrayed.
 
On the grinding stone.
 
It’s the hollowness of silence
when the wild has moved on through,
and you’re served up on life’s table—
nothing left that’s truly you.
 
It’s the break when seasons stagger
when the night gnaws through the bone,
the crack where time is splintered
and the sky abandons its throne.

On the whetstone
 
I lie between migrations—
wildness gone, yet not my own.
 
Not on my own, not on my own—
On the tombstone.
 
Caught within the fault-line
turning like a prayer all alone all alone... so alone.
 
Wait—
 
the Potter’s shaping stone.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

Poem

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Kerr Avatar
September 12, 2026 at 9:18 AM
Daniel, I must apologise sincerely for accidentally deleting your generous review of Mind The Stairs. It has been one of these days and no disrespect was meant. I will make every effort not to do so again. With regard to this poem of yours it is a stunning display of literary skill and flow. Imagery a catalyst and sustained honesty at its core.🔥⭐✨ Howard
Edmonds  Avatar
August 27, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Marvellous poetry and quote Daniel… Beryl
Rodgers Avatar
September 2, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Dear Beryl, it is always a pleasure to see your sweet notes. Blessings, Beryl, Daniel
Baker Avatar
August 26, 2025 at 4:33 PM
An all-encompassing poem, Daniel. Your use of metaphor is exquisite, my friend. Not everyone understanding the ability to step into another's shoes, but you take it to the next level by expressing the thoughts of other species. Fascinating and engaging poetry. I like the twist at, "On the grinding Stone. You transition from one of all things and lost to one waking up to reality ... loneliness can encompass all of us. Then the closing, "The Potter's Stone ... Awesome! Bill
Rodgers Avatar
September 2, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Hello Bill, Your note truly humbles me. I love that you noticed the stepping-into-other-species perspective and that’s exactly the bridge I hoped to build. Your words carry the same care and insight you always bring and thank you for walking this path with me, my friend. Blessings, Bill, Daniel
Hind Avatar
August 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Amazing poetry, Daniel. It's wow...I love that ending, it's power... you write of your feelings so well, in your images I just get lost. :)
Rodgers Avatar
August 25, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Dear Paige, thank you for noticing the amount of emotions that go into writing these poems, mine, yours, and others. I think that is what poetry is about: showing our passions. You are always uplifting with each of your notes. Blessings, Dear Paige, Daniel
Bayles Avatar
August 24, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Such a nice line- "the sky abandoned its thrown." Beautiful depiction of pronounced ups and downs of life.
Rodgers Avatar
August 25, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Hello Mike, thank you for your ongoing support and comments. Blessings, Mike, Daniel
Buhagiar Avatar
August 24, 2025 at 2:18 AM
This poem is incredibly beautiful. It combines emotions of sadness and happiness. In short it is magnificent.
Rodgers Avatar
August 25, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Dear Victor, I am always appreciative of your thoughts my friend. As the Bible tells us that the rain falls on the good and the bad. But we as Christians know that our God is sanctifying us every day. Blessings, Victor, Daniel
Narain Avatar
August 22, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Daniel, your poem is a fierce and brave meditation on loss, identity, and spiritual renewal. It grounds the reader in sensory, even brutal, imagery before redeeming the narrative through spiritual allegory. The final invocation of the Potter reframes suffering as purposeful—pain as formative, not final.
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Hello Jay, I really appreciate your insights and thankful for your visits. Well rounded insights. Blessings, Jay, Daniel
Goldsmith Avatar
August 22, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Another WOW Write with a great picture. Your quote says it all and I love it. Great last line... Have a blessed/wonderful day writing away.............
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Dear Paula, I am always thankful for your lovely notes and encouragement. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings, Dear Paula, Daniel
Lane Avatar
August 22, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Daniel, I've read this twice and each time I find new lines that I'd called my favorites. I think the grinding stone verses win out. "I lie between migrations" sets the gloom and doom emotions of your last few lines, UNTIL you realize there is a chance at hope.
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Good Morning, Dear, Lin, I always know a true poet who takes the time to reread to capture more in the verses. It is funny how the opening lines kept popping up in my head before I wrote them down and built on it. My clients many times struggle with defeat and I would like to think that their life will be better when hope is reestablished in their lives. You always bless me and I am thankful for our friendship. Blessings, Dear Lin, Daniel
Chiri Avatar
August 22, 2025 at 7:02 AM
What a wonderfully written piece! So elegantly written in fact! :)
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Dear Brenda, thank you so much for your lovely note. Blessings, Brenda, Daniel
Winter Avatar
August 22, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Dearest Daniel, your new poem is a true example that even in melancholy there is beauty and romanticism. It also reminds of this quote by Oscar Wilde "knowing exactly what you want to be is a punishment, because then you will inevitably become it". With love and respect always, Anne
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Dearest Anne, Thank you for such a beautiful and perceptive response to my latest poem. The Oscar Wilde quote adds another layer of meaning and is one of the many reasons I treasure our literary conversations. Thank you for your continued love, support. Blessings, Dear Anne, Daniel
Andresen Avatar
August 22, 2025 at 1:52 AM
- Sadness can feel heavy in the body, Daniel ... like a deflated balloon - hugs
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Dear Anne-Lise, thank you for your visit. Sadness can really weigh the body down. In my industry as a counselor I see so much sadness. Thanks again! Blessings, Anne-Lise, Daniel
Etgen-Baker Avatar
August 21, 2025 at 5:13 PM
such extraordinary craftsmanship, Daniel. The quote at the beginning set the tone for this poem...I especially liked: I lie between migrations— wildness gone, yet not my own. Not on my own, not on my own— On the tombstone. Wishing you a blessed evening, Sara
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Dear Sara, Thank you for such thoughtful and generous feedback. Your attention to the specific lines shows me that you really connected with the heart of the poem. It means so much to know that the opening quote worked to set the tone as I'd hoped. Thank you for taking the time to sharing your encouragement. Blessings, Sara, Daniel
Fleming Avatar
August 21, 2025 at 1:43 PM
“Some days I am the storm. Today I’m the puddle no one steps in, just something to avoid, that waits to be dried up and forgotten.” Now that is POETRY!! :) john p.s your poem had me smiling, Daniel. Enjoyed!
Rodgers Avatar
August 23, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Hello John Thanks so much for your kind words, your enthusiasm really means a lot! There's something special about sharing poetry with friends who truly get it, and your response reminded me why I love writing in the first place. Blessings, John Daniel
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