Daniel Henry Rodgers Poet Lyric

Notes About The Poem

 

"Man is an exception whatever else he is.
If he is not the image of God,
then he is a disease of the dust."

— G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man

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"What a chimera then is man!
What a chaos, what a contradiction, what a prodigy!
Judge of all things, imbecile worm of the earth;
depository of truth, a sink of uncertainty and error;
the glory and the refuse of the universe."

— Blaise Pascal, Pensées

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"I have said to corruption,
'Thou art my father': to the worm,
'Thou art my mother, and my sister.'"

— Job 17:14 (KJV)

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Unbegotten

sole am i
meat locker are we
apeiron births god
pith distills self

self distills pith
god births apeiron
we are locker meat
i am sole


already dead am i
nihil gestates genesis
corpse digests worm
bone ensouls flesh

flesh ensouls bone
worm digests corpse
genesis gestates nihil
i am dead already


damned am i
yesterday flays tomorrow
flesh exuvial are we
pitiless is time

time is pitiless
we are exuvial flesh
tomorrow flays yesterday
i am damned


alone am i
nothing begets thought
clay invents god
dust unbegotten are we

we are unbegotten dust
god invents clay
thought begets nothing
i am alone

nihil kills nihil
Nihil Kills

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Rob Carmack August 29, 2026 at 8:42 PM I like everything you have done here-the picture, quotes and the poem. From your poems to your contests, you're an asset to this site.

Beryl Edmonds August 1, 2026 at 8:03 PM Gosh Daniel, this is amazing and so creative. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, forwards, backwards, up and down…Beryl Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 10:58 AM Dear Beryl, thank you so much. I love that you traveled through the poem in every direction; that’s exactly what I hoped would emerge, a kind of recursive corridor where meaning shifts depending on the angle of entry. I’m grateful it touched you.Blessings, Daniel

Paige Hind July 29, 2026 at 2:53 AM woah. your mind is so gifted, Daniel- amazing work, kudos poet Daniel :) Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 10:58 AM Dear Paige, your kindness means a lot. This one came from a deep, strange place, and I’m glad the patterning and the metaphysics spoke to you. Thank you for seeing the work so clearly. Blessings, Daniel

Ink Empress July 28, 2026 at 1:27 PM Shines so deeply! Left me in awe dear Daniel ~ Pleasure reading you today Sending you light always And also its a fave!!! Chilling really! :0

Ink Empress July 28, 2026 at 1:26 PM Exactly how some feel somedays dear Daniel, only few can feel and write the depth of what darkness speaks ~ and thinks. Your words and how they are woven and arranged has a pattern that is so very catchy and unique! The way you phrased lines too is beautiful and has a creativeness to it and made me wonder. Did you have specific syllables in mind when you wrote each line? I love also the first quote here youv used ~ how powerful and soul hitting is this poem. Your empathy and weight of thoughts Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM Dear Empress, your insight is always extraordinary. Yes, some days the mind speaks in darker corridors, and this poem followed that current. I didn’t write to a syllabic pattern, but I did write to a thought, a kind of mirrored memory. I’m honored that the quotes and the structure reached you. Thank you for this beautiful, thoughtful reflection. Blessings, Daniel

Silent One July 28, 2026 at 10:12 AM This poem is dark, thought provoking and full of powerful imagery. I liked how the mirrored structure gives it a sense of repetition, almost as if you are trapped in an endless cycle of life, death and questioning your existence. The language is rich and often unsettling, with phrases like "corpse digests worm" and "yesterday flays tomorrow" creating vivid images that stay with you. A wonderful thought provoking poem.. Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:01 AM Hello Silent One, thank you for this generous reading. You captured the intention perfectly, that recursive, mirrored structure meant to feel like an existential loop, a cycle of creation and decay. I appreciate your eye for the imagery and the psychological weight behind it. Blessings, Daniel

Tom Cunningham July 27, 2026 at 11:36 PM We are mere specks of dust in the big scheme of things, but I believe we have a purpose in life. One of the things I often wonder is how we exist at all. How can you have something if there was nothing to begin with, it defies all logic. Are God and science intertwined ?, even the scientists when unable to come up with the answers put it down to the miraculous. Thought provoking verse Daniel. Tom Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:02 AM Hello Tom, I always appreciate your thoughtful reflections. Yes, the question of existence, of something arising from nothing, is one of the oldest mysteries we wrestle with. Science and faith often circle the same abyss. Thank you for engaging the poem with such depth. Blessings, Daniel

Andrea Dietrich July 27, 2026 at 4:58 PM Such interesting pattern of writing here , this almost reminds of that mirror type form I have seen in the past. A very profound poem. The very last part to me anyway is kind of chilling. Like when the kid in The Shining sees Redrum on the wall Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:02 AM Dear Andrea, thank you. I’m glad the mirrored form caught your attention, it’s a strange architecture, but it felt right for the metaphysics of the piece. And yes, the ending does carry a bit of that “Redrum” chill. I appreciate your insight. Blessings, Daniel

Paula Goldsmith July 27, 2026 at 12:33 PM Another WOW!!! Great write/quotes/picture. Yes, mind/body/soul. Love your line, "we are unbegotten dust." We Are.... Have a Lovely/Blessed Day Writing Away...............

Ghairo Daniels July 27, 2026 at 9:39 AM The Ego starts writing such lyrics when the Soul starts taking charge > so I am delighted that Soul-Sole has commenced the Overshadow with its organised logicality. I was reminded of my Philosophy-Logic 101 class, many decades ago, when reading your latest gem, Daniel. The unbegotten dust is well pleased with you & God is thrilled that His clay stands in your kitchen as ceramic coffee mugs. Liked. Have a good week, Ghairo. Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:04 AM Dear Ghairo, your reflections always make me smile. I love the way you framed this, the Ego stepping aside so the Soul can take the wheel. And your Philosophy‑Logic 101 memory fits perfectly with the poem’s recursion. Thank you for this thoughtful, playful insight. Blessings, Daniel

Victor Buhagiar July 27, 2026 at 8:05 AM "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" (Canto III, line 9). How right Dante was. Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:04 AM Hello Victor, thank you. Dante’s warning fits the poem’s descent well, that threshold where hope thins and metaphysics turns inward. I appreciate the connection. Blessings, Daniel

Hiya Sharma July 27, 2026 at 7:06 AM Woaahhh! This is so geniusly woven! Truly commendable, dear Daniel, the way you've knitted this lyrics verse in such an intricate, intriguing and spellbinding pattern.. the way you've lines read backward and upside down, in the succeeding layers.. just everything about this is sheer brilliance.. I loved particularly that refrain "nihil kills nihil" very powerful. This whole piece caters to the depths of the soul.. and the reflection of searching within! So wonderfully done. Pleasure reading always, sending you light and best wishes, a fav ~ Daniel Henry Rodgers August 4, 2026 at 11:05 AM Dear Hiya, your generosity of spirit is always felt. I’m grateful you saw the intricacy and the layered reversals, the poem was meant to read like a shifting maze. “Nihil kills nihil” is the line that kept echoing as I wrote, so I’m glad it struck you too. Thank you for the FAV and for your beautiful insight. Blessings, Daniel