Category: MAX NIX
Check these books out
‘Cheesebread & Coffee’ are humor pieces from the Charter Oak-Ute NEWSpaper and Mapleton PRESS 2002-2008. Not political, not too religious.
‘Max Nix’ is a collection of poetry from 1985-2020. I know, poetry isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I’ve been told mine is short, approachable, relatable and keeps you reading.
‘Dear John’ is a series of reflections on the book of 1 John. Not exactly a devotional, not exactly a Bible study- somewhere in between. It deals with some current issues though, love and who is our brother?
‘Prophet, Priest & Pirate,’ 2004-2020 essays on politics & religion. Yep, more progressive than most voters in Iowa’s 4th District, but more moderate/conservative than most of the rest of the U.S. Basic thesis: Democrats can be Christian too, and while we’re at it- let’s be careful not to make either political party or their candidates into false idols.
Need a Summer Read?
https://tedmallory.wordpress.com/books
No, it’s not like I suddenly wrote four books since March. Actually I’ve been blogging since 2002 and I’m compiling things I’ve written into self-published books you can order on Amazon or Goodreads.
Here’s micro-synopses on each one:
‘Cheesebread & Coffee’ are humor pieces from the Charter Oak-Ute NEWSpaper and Mapleton PRESS 2002-2008. Not political, not too religious.
‘Max Nix’ is a collection of poetry from 1985-2020. I know, poetry isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I’ve been told mine is short, approachable, relatable and keeps you reading.
‘Dear John’ is a series of reflections on the book of 1 John. Not exactly a devotional, not exactly a Bible study- somewhere in between. It deals with some current issues though, love and who is our brother?
‘Prophet, Priest & Pirate,’ 2004-2020 essays on politics & religion. Yep, more progressive than most voters in Iowa’s 4th District, but more moderate/conservative than most of the rest of the U.S. Basic thesis: Democrats can be Christian too, and while we’re at it- let’s be careful not to make either political party or their candidates into false idols.
I hope that at least one of these will interest you. I have another three or four “in the pipeline,” but I’d better take a break and focus on school for the rest of the Summer. Hopefully I’ll try to get another one or two out later this Fall of Winter.
Happy Reading.
What is Fundamental Anyway?
I’m sorry. I just don’t get it.
To me, the fundamentals, the very foundation of the United States is equality, human rights, and community. Participating and compromising for the common good.
I got these ideas from Jefferson, Adams, Madison, and if they weren’t enough, also from Lincoln and both Roosevelts. And yes, Doctor King too.
But people who call themselves patriots, and nationalist and pro-America laud leaders who don’t believe in, let alone value, respect or protect any of those things.
And they let their anger, ignorance and disdain for the rest of us rage like a prairie fire.
But if I snap back, I have to consider relations and treat people better than that. If want to remind everyone of what our fundamentals are, I’m warned that I’ll offend someone, that they’ll think I’m too radical.
To me, the very heart, the basics, the absolute fundamental foundations of Jesus and the whole Bible, Old and New, is love.
Love the Lord your God with all your strength and all your heart and all you mind. AND love your neighbor as yourslef.
Love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor?
Love your enemies, pray for those that persecute you.
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Seems clear. Seems fundamental.
But if you say that, they look at you suspiciously.
Who are you listening to? What are you reading?
Um, Jesus, the Prophets, judges, and teachers of the Torah and Jesus, Paul, John, the Apostles and Epistle writers of the New Testament.
That’s heresy. That’s reduction-ism. That’s liberation theology. That’s too liberal. That’s watered down.
Here I was thinking it was distilled, concentrated, liquor, jet fuel.
Essence. Spirit. Anything BUT diluted.
Accepting anyone into fellowship who doesn’t submit to every jot and tittle of the law would be like condoning their every error.
Grace itself becomes a work, after having been reminded over and over that our own works are worth nothing.
Not just adherence to orthodoxy, but allegiance to homogeneity is the only safety.
I think to much. I feel too much. I talk too much.
My fundamentalism is the wrong kind of radical.
I’m stupid. I’m crazy. I’m a problem. I hate our heritage.
Don’t point out our ignorance, our apathy, our inconsistency, our mental illness, our stubbornness.
I get it.
Judge not, let ye be judged.
I must have logs in my eyes.
What I thought was fundamental, the fundamentalists find too progressive.
I thought evangelical meant having a personal relationship with God and wanting to share the good news of His love. Isn’t to evangelize, to share, to witness? But the more I speak or share, the more I’m isolated and marginalized. Muffled. Stimied.
What I thought was egalitarian and democratic and just is apparently “socialist” and “elitist” and “unamerican.”
Do I really not understand the fundamentals?
“Indeed I tremble for my country when reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever: that considering numbers, nature and natural means only, a revolution of the wheel of fortune, an exchange of situation, is among possible events: that it may become probable by supernatural interference!”
— Thomas Jefferson
” Jesus wept.”
—John 11:35
POEM; Our Issue
I think I know what our issue is
at least I have an idea
To you, America is a noun
To me, America is a verb
To you, America is an INTERJECTION!
We were always taught that America is a conjunction,
But I’ve come to see it as a question,
I wonder if it shouldn’t be a preposition
I guess that’s our other problem;
I listen, read, consider, discuss, and then write
But you just watch and then shout.
I try to listen to you, but get so tired of the shouting
that I seek shelter in my reading
On rare occasion, you tell me that you want to listen to me,
but then it turned out that you were just looking for something new to shout about.
I know I could be wrong,
no doubt you’re ready to shout that I am,
but anyway- that’s what I’m beginning to think the problem might be.
POEM | November
Just after sunrise the light has a golden quality like it’s shining through a jar of honey
The sky in the West is “Advent blue,” the color of hope and optimism
The curves of the prairie are amber and warm beige like blessings and peace
Driving to work one morning I was struck by the colors. I didn’t have my Cannon camera with me and wasn’t going to try to capture the landscape with my phone camera while driving, but I’m an occasional amateur poet, so I thought about what I’d write to describe the scene. Since I’ve been teaching Commercial Art students about using both the vector graphics app “youidraw.com” (like Adobe illustrator, but free) and the layout design app “Lucidpress.com” (essentially a free online imitation of Adobe InDesign) I developed a simple abstract design of colors and placed the poem over it.
I’m So Sorry
I’m so sorry
You’re dealing with so much
I feel afraid to offer any commentary
because I don’t want to risk
offending you
or say anything
that will compound your pain
I want to say things
to heal
or help
but I know
nothing can
and I don’t want
anything that could be beneficial eventually
to be trivial or superficial or even insulting
because it comes at the wrong time.
I’ve been here before
in the line
at the viewing
or the luncheon
after the entombment
not knowing what to say
or how to say it
not wanting to put you through this
not even sure
how much eye contact
to make.
But I’ve been someplace
like where you are now
I know not the same place
but someplace cold
isolated
on display
in front of
what seems like
a never ending
stream of well wishers
yet so alone
aching
aching
aching
so that you just want
to be left alone
but under sedation
put into a coma
so that you
don’t have
to deal with it
anymore
I’m sorry
so sorry
not only for your loss
but because
I have no idea
what to say
or how to say it
I’m here
if you want me
but I won’t be
if you don’t
I just wish
I could tell which
because
it doesn’t see fair
to ask you
to have to tell me
one way or another
I’m so sorry
Poem about shutting up
c.Oct. 2008
There’s been ink in my veins from an early age
but it seems like it wasn’t meant to be
either I wasn’t meant for it or it wasn’t meant for me
I want to give it up
I want to do what you want me to
don’t know if you’re afraid of it,
or if it makes you not like me
I’m trying to give it up,
because I don’t want to lose you
but I swear God made me this way
so what am I supposed to do?
I’m haunted by the ghost of Tom Joad
I asked God to take me away from me.
to make me silent and submissive like Winston Smith at the end of 1984
only without having to face the rats or betray Julia first
Frosty Road
Everyone reads (or hears)
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
And they think, “Oh good for him,”
What a great decision!
He’s such an inspiration.
But that’s because no one bothered to actually read the entire poem,
let a lone the line just before the part about two roads diverging-
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:”
Ages hence you’ll tell it with a sigh?
“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Why tell it with a sigh?
To me sighs aren’t about accomplishment or joy or pride.
Sighs are at best about close calls and relief
but more often sighs are when you know you’re beat.
Sure, the one more traveled has tamped down paths
and broken limbs, picked flowers or even occasionally some trash,
but roads less traveled by?
They’re the roads with bears and badgers and skunks
and evil clowns.
An evil clown can make all the difference.
How d’ya like that?
Don’t get me wrong,
I love ya ta death
but I’m sorry
I don’t like you all that much
Oh, I wish I liked you
I’d like to like you
but I’d like it if you were more likable,
which is unlikely
I’m as likely to like you as the next guy
but that’s not all that likely either
and since it’s unlikely that your likability is likely to increase much
as long as you’re like you are
liking to tell everyone how much you dislike likable people
I’m not likely to start liking you soon
although I’d like to like you
I really would
I hate the fact that I don’t like you
but you don’t really like me all that much anyway, right
I mean, come on
how likely is that?
So, as they old timers sometimes say,
“ya just gotta use that one up like they are.”
I promise to keep loving you
loving you in spite of our mutual dislike.
POEM; All God’s Children
All God’s Children
Seared in flames
One hundred years later
One hundred years later
Still languishing
One hundred years later
Where is freedom?
Where is justice?
One hundred years later,
All God’s Children
We cannot walk alone.
As we walk
As we walk
All God’s Children
We can never be satisfied
We can never be satisfied
We can never be satisfied
Until justice rolls down
All God’s Children
I have a dream today
I have a dream today
I have a dream
All God’s Children
This is our hope
This is the faith
With this faith
With this faith
All God’s Children
Work
Pray
Struggle
Go to jail
Stand up
Together
Together
Together
All God’s Children
Let freedom ring
Let it ring
Let it ring
Ring
Ring
Ring
Free at last
Free at last
All God’s Children
Free at last
At last
Thank God Almighty
One hundred years later
Still languishing
All God’s Children
One hundred years later
maladjusted.us 