Ignatius

I watch a man speak for five minutes
Building up to the reveal that Ignatius
Is a man who heard and studied directly
Under Peter and John.

And then he says, "Aha! Therefore the Pope!"
I take it only a step back, that he heard
From Peter and John.

For Theilman is as much scripture
As Ignatius to me...
And I am as much scripture as him...
But it is the true Apostolic faith.
Therefore, I am an Apostolic Christian.

For Esdras, and Ignatius, and Thielman
And Brandon, and Clive Staples Lewis
And G. K. Chesterton, and Augustine 
And Aquinas, and Hymn Makers
And Oil Painters and Musicians
And Creed Makers and the Teutons 
All have apostolic Christianity
To inspire us... for we are one bread and body
And must learn from each other
And not be blinded by Scripture's Authority
To say, "Only it matters." For God wants
All of us to share in the Apocrathy
Of faith, ministering to all the Saints.

The Gift of Life

Though you are ashamed, broken, nobody loves you… no job, no car, no money… only people who tolerate you… know every life is a gift. Share good news with them every day—of Christ’s gospel—and eat your meals, if you can. Enjoy your labors, if you have them. If not, find labors. Cherish wisdom, and cherish truth. Love those you speak to on a daily basis, and do them no wrong. Forgive them when they are boring, or cruel, and bless them with your time and tongue.

Cherish your brother, and your sisters, and cherish your father and mother. Cherish your animals who share your company, and your grandparents. Cherish your friends, and cherish your enemies—for your enemies hate you, so give them every reason to stop. Love your enemies, and heap warm coals under their beds, to warm them at night, and speak blessings over them numerous, and though you die sheepishly at night, with nothing and no satisfaction… know life was a blessing.

It is a blessing because we eat our food, we drink our drink, we laugh, we keep company, and if we do not these things, at last, there is the sweet savor of death which will sweep us away into eternity.

Every day is a blessing, because you have the chance to teach yourself something new, speak something to someone they never knew, eat a brilliant meal, drink a brilliant drink, love someone you never loved, and forge friendships in fires of strife and hardship. And though friends hate you, and family, and society… they give you not an inch of your desires, and you suffer long… there is a world awaiting you, eternal, and a kingdom of 12,000 furlongs of golden Plateau. And there your heart will long, while you live to understand that moment you leave. But do not leave prematurely… seek the wisdom you can in life, to call others to that glorious mountain.

The Debate

She won... handly... by saying nothing.
She spoke... she spoke often...
But nothing she said had any context.
She had no purpose... just spoke.
And to understand this is a new bit of wisdom--
I understand at last... not everyone has purpose
Or a point to what they say... they just speak.

Yet, I thought she had said that there were no danger in drugs
And she seemed to imply that she was a drug user---
It was in the unwieldy way in which she said it---
And I told her I loved her every moment,
And every sentence was wrought with care
For her to improve, and to shelter a person who would make 
A mistake like so. I said I cared about her, and that I wished her well,
Yet she drudged up my past and said,
"You only exist to show people how not to live your life."
Here is what I was going to say back:

"Maybe I was a stupid teenager, who did some stupid things, and expected the world to forgive me, and when it didn't, I wanted to shield it from making the same mistakes?

"Maybe I am an example of how not to live your life. But, you are a bad person. If you have no mercy on me... I've had plenty of mercy on you, telling you I loved you every two comments. And only trying to say, that you shouldn't be arguing with someone who made perfectly valid points."

But our conversation was deleted.
For my love, she hated me...
And I was probably right.
She is one who takes the exact opposite moral position...
And her friend came and said,
"A sex offender making moral arguments, how pathetic."

So, the ballad of the stupid teenager continues.
And my life is not one to be emulated
Because I had a conscience, and went to the police.
And I ended up in jail.
And had love on a woman, thinking she was a drug user---
Of which she said she wasn't, but her unwieldy thoughts could only mean that she were---
That I just didn't want to see her make a mistake.

For the one mistake that could have ruined me---
So I had no hope whatsoever---
Was that of drugs and alcohol.
So... she won the debate, because she hated me every step of the way
And got her entourage to support her.
And I simply loved her enough to say she was wrong.
Because that is the one mistake I hadn't made
And it is the one mistake that could have broken me.
And yet here I am... unbroken,
And with compassion on a two year old in a forty year old's body.

Grace

Law is meant to bring death. That is true. The Law’s purpose is to put everyone under condemnation, but if you held yourself to the Law’s standard, you yourself would be destroyed. {} You need Mercy toward everyone. So, you have a choice… bring to the bear every infraction against the law, and thereby bring condemnation on yourself. Or forgive, and receive mercy. It’s not your job. It’s God’s job. If you be a witness, then so be, but let your mind be freed from [punishing wrongdoers].

Disasterpiece

Oh, Natahunt, singing in your rage
You killed, you killed, you killed, thou sage...
You are angry and vile and filled with hate
Against me, against me, against me you rage.
You stole your word from an eleven year old girl
You creep and lurk, and go back in time you churl.
For you are Death, Death I say...
And I may be walking through the Slough this day.
The Dobson flies are not like you, you runt
For they are harmless, yet you go on your hunt.
You wish to accuse me of your great crimes
And you killed, you killed, you are not wise.
You have merged with me in my very mind
Another Doppelganger, from another time.
One, and Two and then there's Three,
I cannot say their names you see.
For all three of you have circumvented me
And you stole your word from an Eleven Year Old wee
Little lass, and you tortured my soul
For you wish to capture me in your grassy knoll
Of erasure, and spies, and licensed assassins
Yet you are Antichrist, and I never blasphemed.
You are great, and greatly despised
Oh Antichrist, you are Edom in the starry skies,
Who came down upon your chariot of flames
And stole my work the day I was chained.
And you do not exist, you are not alive...
You are of all men, most vile.
For you crept into my house the day I went away
And with Ziddon and Moab and Tyre you came
And stole my blessed stories you curse
But I have caught you, and you are the first
The elder, the elder, you are you are,
I am the younger, yet you lived among the stars.

A Response to Carl Sagan on American Stupidity

People in the fifties hated Cowboy Shows, and said the same thing. It’s not the glorification of stupidity, but the technology that amplifies it, and gives it a bullhorn… and then wicked people who know how to manipulate the masses through symbols, images and black and white ideas.

People are not very brilliant. And never were. You read something like the Ulster Cycle, it’s hilarious the kind of politics they did, such as presenting bare chested women to invading armies and getting offended at pig roasts.

Like, Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great—both having about 140iqs—were just those rare sorts who came in an advanced society, and those advanced societies were cultured by traditions. That’s where we went wrong, was attacking the traditions. As that’s the education of the lowest common denominator, is religion, myths, history and tall tales. Which, for the most intelligent, they must also grapple with the genius of someone like Jesus in order to shepherd the people right.

Christianity is just true. The simple need it. The intelligent need it. Everyone needs it. But, they need tradition, too. George Washington and the Cherry Tree they need, they need to know about the World Wars, the Revolution, Slavery, Abolitionism, the Civil Rights Movement, The Civil War, they need the old Nursery Rhymes… the old movies preserved a historical tradition and connected us to an authentic history. That was destroyed around 2010, and also the language got reinvented and simplified.

We’re dealing with a malicious actor, but it’s no person or bodily entity. It is indeed the devil working through many seared consciences wanting to sincerely improve the world.

The Lorax and the Cat

The Lorax walked through the trees
And he saw the Cat in the Hat in the breeze
With things one and two, who tried to make our good things go away.
Thing one made a fog, and thing two made the call
And be still you know, the Cat did say,
“I will make it all go away.”
Yet, secretly, they did their dance
As the Lorax had small chance
And walked through the world saying
“Be careful for the trees!”
Yet the Cat buttered both sides of his toast
And made sure they hated the host.
So the Lorax, friendly as could be
Was harassed by things one and two you see
Who made the fog, who made the speech
Which confused the poor Whos more than me.
And Horton could hear them, then he could not.
Thus the Cat made the butter wars
For he could care not.
Thus, the Lorax spun his tale
To protect the trees, but they sought to put him in jail.
For no thing wrong, did he do this day
For he was the hero, and the Cat was gay
When Things one and two came to the breeze
To make the fog, to make the speech.
Thus, the Lorax cried, “The trees the trees!”
And Horton was worried by the Whos' desperate pleas.
For they were caught in the middle of the butter wars
And none but the Lorax knew
And now me.

©2025 B. K. Neifert
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