Hypertext-like poem: The invitation to read diagonally or follow one “knot” into another verse resembles digital hypertext, although the poem remains on a fixed page.
The House of Linked Rooms
Enter through [the blue door → 1]
or climb through [the broken window → 2].
The Blue Door
The hall smells of rain and old wool.
A portrait points toward [the attic → 3],
but a voice rises from [the cellar → 4].
The Broken Window
Glass shines across the floor
like a map of frozen rivers.
Follow the reflection to [the mirror → 5]
or follow the footprints to [the attic → 3].
The Attic
A child has written your name
inside every book.
Return to [the portrait → 1]
or open [the smallest book → 6].
The Cellar
A radio repeats tomorrow’s news.
To hear the final report, go to [the storm → 6].
To escape, return to [the blue door → 1].
The Mirror
Your reflection points behind you.
There is no room there,
only [the cellar → 4].
The Storm
The roof opens.
Every room becomes sky,
and every link leads here.
The bracketed words operate like hyperlinks. They connect distant sections, permit loops, and allow the reader to jump among textual locations.
Unlike a fully digital hypertext poem, the links do not respond electronically. The poem imitates hyperlink navigation on a fixed page. Its defining feature is linked movement between textual nodes.

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