dailu nebraskan
friday, november 17, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no.48
Poet says search for answers starts in ourselves
By Jeff Kruse
"Oh, please be gentle to the
human heart, dear stranger,
for it is forever tender
from the pain of
eternally becoming ..."
These words, softly spoken from the
lips of a former ghetto dweller, drug ad
dict, pocket-picker and prison inmate, were
shared at the UNL Cultural Center Thurs
day night by B.F. Maiz, a present day poet,
philosopher, and educator.
"We must look for answers inside our
selves," said Maiz. "There are no answer
men any more. There are no messiahs, only
charlatans.
"Any one who tells you there's an easy
way, you can rest assured he is out to
hoodwink you."
Maiz, who calls himself a humanistic
existentialist, described some of his back
ground to a handful of black students.
Ran away
"I ran away from home and grew up in
the streets of Chicago. I succumbed to drug
addiction, overcame it, went to prison,
and prayerfully, I've overcome that. . .
to live a quality life that is characterized
by effectiveness and inspiration as my
goal," he said.
According to Maiz, the best path to
effectiveness is to learn to work for your
self. "To work is divine," he said. "Not
only is it therapeutic, it lends to self
dignity."
The role of the poet, said Maiz, is to
touch what is divine in every human being.
"The divine is that part of the human being
that longs for laughter and joy, yet fills
itself with the tear of sorrow," he said.
"I have written
poems which are
over one thousand
all committed to
memory, including one called "When on
that Holy September Sabbath Morning,
he said.
'"When
on that holy
September sabbath morning,
we,
together,
you and I,
locked our lives,
I promised,
through all
the ripe and painted
autumns
to walk
with you.
Through
bleak and icy winters
I vowed to cuddle with you. . .
through
fresh and resurrecting springs
I took an oath to accompany
you. . .
and,
I swore to love you
through all the green and sunlit
summers. "
Poetry, however, has not come to Maiz
without its miseries. "I paid a pain and met
my soul," he says of his life experiences.
"In every life there is some suffering
which turns some into crybabies, others
into fanatics, others into anti-social beings
and some into poets.
"I was blessed in being among the latter
few." The problems of today are simply
matters of "people not caring or sharing
enough," he said, ". . .No one seems to give
a damn. . .
"Being a citizen, or especially a human
being in contermporary times is not easy.
It never was, never will be."
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Photo by Mark Billinfsicy
After a strenuous day of men-hunting, these two deer rest under a clump of trees.
Last opportunity
Today is the final day to preregister for classes
for spring semester. Preregistration materials must
be turned in to the Administration Buildings by
4:30.
The next opportunity to register for second se
mester classes is general registration, Jan. 10th
through the 12th.
Returned goalpost
doesn 't get reward,
not complete piece
Jim Bertrand, the UNL student who turned in part of a
goalpost taken from Memorial Stadium following the
Oklahoma football game isn't going to get an award for it
after all, but he's welcome to take back his section of the
goalpost, if he wants it.
That's the word from the University Police, who say
they stipulated that in order to receive the $100 reward,
the person turning in the section of the goalpost must
turn in the entire curved arm that supports the uprights.
Bertrand said he heard about the reward on the radio, and
turned in the piece he had.
Police promised to ask no questions and file no
charges and they didn't. Bertrand came in the following
morning to check on his reward, and according to Sgt.
Joe Wehner, the student was told he would get his reward
as soon as Wehner checked to make sure the curved arm
was intact, and some subsequent paper work was
completed. However, Wehner said when he checked the
arm, he discovered it was not intact, but only the bottom
five or six feet of it was returned. "It's totally worthless"
Wehner said.
Bertrand may have one consolation though. Wehner
said if he wants the piece of the goalpost back, he can
have it. . . no questions asked.
Bertrand was not available for comment Thursday
night.
inside friday
Take the money and run: Better Business Bureau
cautions Uncolnites of work - at - home
schemes page 3
Step right up: Soft circus provides the greatest
"little" show on earth page 8
NU by two: Columnist picks Huskers to win in
close game with Missouri page 10