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Daniel Henry Rodgers
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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.

Thanks to the Team of Judges for the Contest "Prismatic Self"

Blog Posted by Daniel Henry Rodgers: 6/10/2025 11:43:00 AM

To the remarkable panel of judges, Lin Lane, Ink Empress, Duke Beaufort, Vanya Evangeline, Anne Winter, Hiya Sharma, Andrea Dietrich, —my sincerest and most heartfelt thanks. Also to all the Winners Congratulations!

This was not a contest for the faint of heart. It was a challenge. A gauntlet. A mirror turned inward where we asked every poet not just to write but to reckon. To confront their own reasons for creating, submitting, yearning, and baring their souls through art. And in setting that high bar, I knew it would demand just as much from the ones behind the curtain.

Thank you for rising to that challenge with clarity, commitment, and conscience. For your hours of reading and re-reading. For navigating the layered requirements, the detailed criteria, the technical details, and most of all, the emotional weight each entry carried.

Thank you for honoring vulnerability when you saw it and for recognizing bravery not just in line breaks but in the fissures of the soul revealed between them. You didn’t just evaluate poems, you held space for the poets. That is no small thing.

This contest pushed boundaries, defied conventions, and in the process, became something greater than the sum of its parts. That only happened because each of you brought your full heart, discernment, and respect for the art form and for the poet into the arena.

You worked as collaborators in an often lonely space. You gave this challenge legitimacy, texture, and grace. And you did so with extraordinary generosity.

Was I a demanding contest creator? Yes. But the goal was never perfection it was truth. And I believe we found it together. The success of this contest belongs to all of us.

With deep gratitude and admiration!

Daniel Henry Rodgers



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Date: 6/10/2025 3:55:00 PM
Thanks for the unique experience. A long time ago I judged by mail and never knew who the other two judges of the Shadowpoetry contests were. To this day I wonder who they were
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Date: 6/10/2025 2:04:00 PM
Daniel, I've never been tasked to co-judge a contest, but 8 people from different backgrounds and ages proved to be easier than I expected when it came to agreeing. However, reading 35 poems of some length, a multiple of times to be sure they covered the criteria you required was at times a 'hair pulling' experience. LOL I'm only half joking about that. There was such a variance of ideas expressed in the entries that I think the others will agree took quite a bit of focus. Thank you for trusting us to evaluate each poem to the best of our ability, and it's gratifying to know you think we did that. I give credit to you and no one else for this. Suggestions without results are fruitless.
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Dietrich Avatar
Andrea Dietrich
Date: 6/10/2025 3:50:00 PM
I agree with what you said, Lin. But I will never ever host a premiere contest!! Not even with a panel of judges!!!
Date: 6/10/2025 1:48:00 PM
I am happy to see that my suggestion about experimenting with a panel of judges was taken seriously Daniel. Even if you never saw the recommendation, it still is a step forward as far as I'm concerned and in fact, I have utilized fellow poets to help me judge in the past. The future's looking better all the time for PS
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