Thanks to the Team of Judges for the Contest "Prismatic Self" - Daniel Henry Rodgers's Blog

Growing up on the farmlands outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I learned to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of nature. I also discovered my passion for reading; starting with comic books and moving on to classics, I excelled in music, English, and history classes at Fairfield, a small farm town school. My high school English teacher saw my potential as a poet and encouraged me to write more poems.

After finishing high school, I enlisted in the Army and served for three years. During that time, I taught myself how to play the guitar, which became one of my lifelong passions. After leaving the Army, I pursued my musical education at college and met my future wife, who became my muse and inspiration. We have been married for 43 years, and she has cherished every poem I ever wrote for her. I write her poems for every occasion: her birthday, our anniversaries, Christmas, and more.

I continued my education and earned Masters Degrees in Music, Counseling Psychology, and Business. I currently manage several counseling offices for a large firm, where I use my skills and compassion to help people with their mental health, substance abuse, trauma, and well-being. Another passion of mine is philosophy, and I enjoy writing posts and poetry around philosophical insights. I try to make them interesting, insightful, and deep. I also write about theological ideas, love, and faith as a Christian.

My family enriches my life: three married daughters, three sons-in-law, and three granddaughters. I write about growing up, married life, fatherhood, and grandfatherhood. And yes, I also write songs in poetic format and have composed musical pieces over the years.

You could say that my life is a symphony of words, music, and love, where God is the conductor, and my family is the orchestra. Now, as a Haiku (one of my favorite genres):

Words, music, and love,
God directs, our family plays,
My Life's Symphony.