I know a man named Jesus.
All about Him.
I know His Father, and His life.
That is Who I believe in.
I don't believe in Biblical Scholars.
I don't believe in Evangelical Fundamentalism.
I don't believe in Theologians' Formulas.
I don't believe in one kind of baptism or communion.
I don't believe in Pastors or what they preach.
I don't believe in a lot of things.

Simply, I think I believe in what Christians always believed,
Until just recently.

I don't believe in John Calvin.
I don't believe in Martin Luther.
I don't believe in Pope Leo.
I don't believe in Bart Ehrman.
I don't believe in Dan McClellan.
I don't believe in any of it.

I just believe in Jesus.

I see the Christians telling me it is a sin to admonish gays.
I see the Bible---I won't even get into it.
I see the gospel is "Believe and you'll be saved."
I see the wicked flourishing.
I see the righteous poor.
I see people's property is looted.
And God sits by,
As the stars fall,
And allows this suffering.

I know a distant echo of a religion...
It is in my memories,
But this thing called Christianity is not it.
That distant echo I believe in.
But whether God has punished me I don't know;
According to Christians it is a sin to try and seek Him,
And according to Christians it is a sin to desire righteousness.
It is a sin to want to be holy, so I blasphemed. 

I don't know what I believe in.
I believe in Christ's Sermons,
And Paul's Epistles,
And the suffering of Jeremiah and John the Baptist.
I believe in the Martyrdom of Polycarp and Ignatius.
I believe in something...

But what I see the theologians saying,
And what I see the pastors saying,
And what I see the Biblical Scholars saying,
That is not it.

The 2026 Pulitzer Prize---aptly awarded this year---we have the main character Bagger, who is a con man, and swindler. Has some sentimentality, and loves Arno, a boy who's young and fighting in the trenches of World War I.

Bagger is a very interesting character. To say the least, I can see he clearly has BPD. The story is one long, compound sentence, and you see in the beginning General Reis gave an order, very explicitly---and this is the reason I perked up to the book---to save the man's life. But, Bagger, in turn, turns it into a mercy killing---which wasn't protocol in World War I---and he goes on convincingly through the rest of the book with this in view, deprecating Reis' character the whole time. When that wasn't the order to begin with, it was Bagger's fabrication. And so convincingly does Bagger tell you this, too. But, we have the order on Page 31 paragraph 4.

Interestingly, Bagger likes to read Tarzan to Arno, and built up a strong friendship, even a genuine affection. Which means he's not NPD or ASPD. He has genuine love for Arno. And when going out, he actually risks his life in Arno's favor, to save the Angel who's caught in the barb wire. This is his first selfless deed, and I see a change in Bagger, having done what is perhaps his first noble thing, even giving credit to his dad as an influence of it. But, he still remembers the order wrong, showing the memory lapse, and how Bagger has skewed his memory so much of Reis, knocking him off the pedestal, in order to lie about him. Which is true for people with Borderline Personality Disorder, is a bad recognisance of events, usually also a misalignment with reality and a distrust for authority figures, as Bagger truly believed he would win a Medal of Honor for such a disgraceful mission. Bagger changed the order to a mercy killing, and when he saw the angel had the likeness of his love affaire, he immediately wanted to save her, and then also took to degrading Reis, and deprecating his desire for winning a Medal of Honor, which coincidentally, is not a medal that a General usually wins. Leading to the more humiliating fact that Bagger is completely wrong about Reis' intents. He just doesn't like Bagger because he recognizes his ignoble character.

©2026 B. K. Neifert
All Rights Reserved

1. The Rummage Sale

I walk into the Church's sale,
And I sense a lie surrounds me.
Like I am in the presence of seven demons.
To tell the truth, I feel this way,
That there is a lie in the air...
It feels like fire burns through my chest
And a deep depression of hellish sorrows.
Note, when I walk into a Cathedral, 
I ought to feel peace
And the smell of woods and pine.
As a friend once said there should be church dust
And there should be peaceful wine.
But something dark lurks there
I do not know what.

2. The Battle Cry

Through the river, of Zion's shores,
I see the mountain God adores;
Twelve Thousand Furlongs raised to the sky
With golden streets, so I'll be wise.

I see the Nations gathered for war.
I put my armor on, and God has warned
That to flinch in battle, I'll be slain,
Thus I hold to my faith, without feign:

I thrust my spear of the Bible's Word,
I hold my faithful shield and am cured...
My battle is not with you outside,
It is within me, of powers wild.

So, I wrestle the prince I knew
Who holds to darkness, and never few
Are his lies, which in my ears
Makes subtle curses and tells me to fear.

He says to me, "Holiness is sin,"
And he says, "Righteousness won't win."
Thus the stars fall, and at the battle cry
I oil my shield, and so am wise.

On the bloody day, I shall be hid,
When the trumpets blast, and God will win:
My heart and soul and my righteous deed
Shall cleave to Christ for eternity.

3. A Thought

Watching her set fire to her home,
And sit and read silently as it burned...
And seeing myself driven to madness once...
I realize there are many weird things in this world.
It is best not to think of them too often.
The Levite's Concubine was raped, murdered, and mutilated...
Then her mutilated corpse was mailed all over the country...
Let that be enough to dwell on of the world's evil,
Or as Jesus said, "The tower fell, and Pilate mingled human blood in the sacrifice.
"Were these any more wicked?"
Let not your mind imagine too much wickedness.
For there are many strange things in this world...
Too many to count.

4. The Grackle and Cardinal

The Grackle and the Cardinal fought
Upon the bough, the Cardinal in 
The sweetest plumage, red crest bright,
A florescent paint. The Grackle
Pearlescent black, purple, green.
I consider Democracy;
The Poet and Priest fight for wise
Thoughts and sayings, to sway mankind.
Yet, the people almost always
In their decadence, elect those
Who will agree upon the worst
Thoughts and decrees. Thus, both birds flee
To another place, where safely
They flit upon the boughs again.

5. The Thing I Do Not Want

The feminist at my daughter's bedside
While she is in the ER, telling me
To my face, that I, in my panic,
Scare her. I might say these words to her,
"Your whole race should be back in the tent
"And not allowed to associate with anyone
"If this is how you behave
"When my little one is sick."
Both things are what I don't want.
So love a little better. So I don't have to be bitter anymore
And say things I don't really mean.

6. The Wildfire, July 16th, 2026

A wasp stings my calf;
I put baking-soda paste on.
The sting disappears.
I see a deer in the woods.
We look at one another.

The smoke looks like smog.
It smells like a wood.
It dims the sun to
The color it makes
At sunset. I eat.

I remember the fawn there
In the woods, and I thought this:
“We're a merciful nation.”
But the park ranger had it 
Euthanized. So I cursed that.
I do not now take it back.
America was good, when
We had a kind heart. Mercy
Was our way. Now, it is strife.

But know this, after
The Hornet stung me I did
Not kill. I did not.

7. My Talent

I received my talent from my Master---
It was a good price. He said, "Invest."
So, I took to music, and used the talent
To learn my song, and played for the feeble.
Then, I bought a store of wisdom, and proved
My master were King, and told all to submit.
Then, I took my talent, and used it
To invest my body, which I wrought;
At the end, how many talents did I make?
I studied Music, Wisdom, and my Body sweat
And my body bled, and my eyes watered.
Also, my wisdom was kept in the bank---
Thus, I compounded my interest.

8. Christian

"Fortune is ever dead... so I struggled.
"I lost every battle, for the resources were scarce.
"Thus, I mustered what I could.
"With an arid land, I learned to nourish it.
"I grew the grasses, I spread the decayed flesh
"And the dead vegetables, and the ashes burnt off my weeds.
"When the waters were dry, I dug down and found springs.
"When my house drooped, I found the mighty Ash and built it back again stronger.
"When there was no Ash, I searched ten miles for the mighty tree
"And I found its samaras and planted them, making my own forest to harvest.
"God did not smile on me.
"My every plan failed. But I strove and would not curse Him.
"I had no money. I had every plan fail, and every friend walk away.
"All who helped me, even those who took pity, their assistance failed, too.
"I was alone. When I sat down for play, to play the game,
"My hand was the worst hand.
"But, soon I began to win.
"With my crushed fortune, I took what was losing,
"And strove ahead of most.
"And then, came Providence's smile.
"And with fortune and know how, I began to smash my enemy to pieces.
"My enemy is Sin."

9. A Hard Message

Walking along the park path's green
I saw a shirt, there, in the leaves.
I thought, oh I thought, about God
There in Deuteronomy's Law
Knowing it wouldn't be retrieved.

I saw the preacher, yes, I've seen
Losing his faith's authority---
Waning;---Paul couldn't heal, but loved;
Walking along the park path's green

I adjure him to let it be,
For sometimes I too don't believe,
And things grow hard, and have no laude.
Yet, remember, this world is naught.
To heal, or not, God is there seen
Walking along the park path's green.

10. Mary Jones

Twenty-five miles you trekked
To receive your bible in 
Bare feet, and at the threshold
You almost were denied it.
Yet, you wept true tears, and you
Received the Bible you'd need.
How awesome is this, to see?
Six years you saved, penury
Your position, a Daughter
Of a Weaver. And almost
Had you not there received it.
But your tears inspired the
Great Apostle of of Bala
To start to print them for all;
And Millions would be then sown.
Now, Gideons do the work
And will freely distribute.

11. Birthday Thoughts

Plato I was, walking down the pathway
And there was Aristotle before me.
I said, "Look up at the trees! Aren't they tall?"
He said, "Look down at the flowers, aren't they
"Beautiful, and always in their timing?"
I see the Swallowtail flutter on the
Cone of a red Phlox flower, fluttering
Wings like a hummingbird's, blue and black dust.
I see the Hemlock and Wild Carrot
There, growing, only a naturalist could
Know the Wild Carrot has a flower
Of Velvet in its large flower's center.
Aristotle made me look to the Earth;
I hope I caused his eyes to see Heaven.

12. Jude to Judas

"I see you, rapturous with the life you wanted.
"The life you stole from me, my friend.
"You are happy, and my heart rejoices for you.
"You took my life, my income, my work,
"And you took it all away, and left me with nothing.
"My heart rejoices for you, with such tender love.
"Live well, Judas, live well...
"I am Jude, and I will be happy you achieved
"The life you robbed, destroyed and killed for.
"And when I am in heaven's bosom,
"I shall sit over you, at the bench.
"You did not expect it, for you truly believed it were a lie.
"And I shall go down, count for count,
"The ways you betrayed all of us."

13. My Thumbscrew

My Thumbscrew is to honor God...
Cause me to think it honors Him,
So when I fail, I am disheartened;
For we cannot fully please Him
By our own good deeds.

14. Lost in Devonshire

I was lost in Devonshire, 
And I saw there all I needed to see...
There was a Sage who neither man nor woman,
And there was there a great foe to beat.
I saw a prophet speaking,
They wish to turn my life 'to a curse...
To term me that forsaken,
To cause penury for my purse.
I drove to that great highway,
I had left a defeated man...
But though I could not succeed...
I am who I am...
I am that Christian in the Land...
Wandering over the valleys
So if you ever find me 
My friends will understand.

15. August 1st, 2026

Yesterday, I got stung by the hornet.
Right on the brow of my eye, swelling large.
Not as painful as the emotional 
Swells in my heart, I plucked them off my face
And in my inner thigh, and mowed the rest.
Cabbage could be smelled outside, and as it
Was said, "You have now revealed yourself to
"Another beside me." As the judge acts
As Brandon's Defense Attorney in court.
No Defender, a Fop for the DA
The Judge was remarkable, I say it:
"Who voted for this scum? Was it I? I?"
And I walk funny on my ankle, nigh
Sprained, and I realize I have clean thoughts and
Unclean thoughts, and God has disciplined me.

16. The Occult

Chatoyant light flies
Off the gem, the syzygy 
Of Saturn, Venus 
And the Moon high in the sky.
He called eudaemonia
In mellifluous tenor.

His victim died. 
Thus did he.
It's purple blood a fact...
Dripping down the altar
To Baphomet and Baal---
And his fortune never failed,
But he had lost all his joy.

17. The Well Lived Life

To live righteously, and do little harm.
To make others feel happy, and trust them.
To do work, and sweat, or learn; to know truth.
To eat good food, drink good drink, sleep enough.
To have at least a friend, who knows you well.
To die without fear, not self inflicted.
To avoid strong drink, noxious herbs and debt.
To make love only with one, who won't leave.
This is the well lived life.

18. Timothy Dexter

Wild were your fortunes,
Which you shipped across the seas...
A man for these times,
Let everyone now see.
You sailed so strong, and mighty
And took the risk it's sure.
All tried to stop you
Yet, you made profit on every shore.
A man of the times, you sailed to where there was best
Where there was naught, now there is
And that was the greatest test.
A great man, Lord in America,
Everyone could see...
Where there were no Baronry
You thought there still were, it seems.

19. Turning 37

Oh, at 5 I could think about Robots
And do my ABCs, at 10 I could
Kill an Ant, and do my algebra, please.
At 16 I could fall in love, and at
20 I gained my maturity's fat.
At 25 I became proficient
At 30 I became a Journeyman.
37, though, my mind is quiet
Almost immediately afterward.
Composed, in a way that is different.
It is a different mind already.
More grateful for the fresh tomato sauce;
My blood pressure is getting higher, too.
I have more peace than I used to. Like the
Flowers turn on their precious dates, so my
Mind does the same. Its seasons flower ripe;
And they are at their most beautiful peak
About to turn to an unripe berry.
And then a sweet fruit, ready to eat. Pluck
It when you do, the mind I do not know;
Will it stop soon? Or will it always grow?

20. Bones

Rotting bones, rotting bones
From the jail it's rotting bones.
I smell them, yes, my stalwart mate
You told me once, before 'tis too late.
I smell the rotting bones.
Into the furnace they go.
Save them, save then, stop the curse.
I am afraid, for the worst.

21. August 19th, 2026

Pacifism only goes so far.
Shall I get stung for my labor
Over and over again?
Destroy to the last...
Mercy has had an end.
I have showed mercy on the hornet
And they have showed me none.
Now is the time to kill.

22. Hypocrites

No atheist can steal my faith---
With perfect logic I defend.
Yet, the Hypocrite turns around and says,
"With faith I dare, so your reasons end."
Blood drips from a wall
And it cures the child of her muteness.
The Catholics worship it like it's God
And I see the demon child with her cuteness.
Whacky is, what whacky does,
There is no soundness in the faith.
No atheist can steal it now
But Hypocrites can make it dangerous.

Why do I believe? I ask it now...
I believe because of peace and love.
I see less of it every day,
But I remember it when it descended from above.
There were sober men, and sober Christians
Not the whacky, strange and weird.
Yet, all have drunk from the poisoned well
But I will not drink it due to fear.

23. The Song of a Christian Maid

I listen to the most beautiful pour out her woes to me
About a lost lover, and a Christian I do see.
Yet, what is her heartbreak, is so pure---
It is not the swells of hate.
No, my love, keep your youthful bloom,
For you have no enemies irate.

For Christ is mine, and I am His,
And I listen to the shepherds sing,---
Of Songs of Solomon, and of the maid,
A Bridal loom do spin.
The lace of truth, and the ornaments of grace
I see upon you now,
Oh beautiful among the maidens, thy face is not so proud.

Yet, like a warrior, I fight my battle
And I cast my crown to He.
The war is all around me, and at the end I will sing.
Great are the warfares of precious love and truth.
To keep the love you have for all,
That is what you fight for: prove
To me your worthy brow, by being a righteous maid.
Keep your virgin heart for love
And to the LORD do pray.

For I see your heart is so beautiful,
And your righteous love beats true.
You are often in my prayers my sister
And I speak to you words so smooth.
The glassy eye you have for her
Who sits upon your lap,
Who faithfully looks up at you, that is why I laugh.
Not in mocking, but with joy, for your love is ever true:
Keep that love you have for all, and I shall always love you.

And walking down the clayey path
I see the toads do scamper true,
The swallowtails do flutter by
In their indigo blues.
I think of you, and your true love
And think to myself 'tis from above:
Do not, oh Sister Faith, lose it, few
Have such love in their bones.
That is true Christianity, at least the one I have known.

❦

And the geese did forget their way
As they flew in their gaggles,
Not in their aerodynamic Vs did they go their way;
The winds did storm, and they did break
For love causes them to form their skein:
That shall be a Christian who has no love, they daggle
Off the path, to the left or right they say.
My love, the worker forgets his skill
And the armies are in the pills;
All do wonder, yet love is true, always.
Remember this wisdom in time:
God shall bless your name and make you wise.

©2026 B. K. Neifert
All Rights Reserved