Mark Maier
Mark Maier is a poet with two new collections of poems, 13 8 and 3 A.M. Stories. These
collected works are his first publications.
Mark grew up near Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Cleveland State University in 2000,
where he was one of the student editors of their literary magazine.
After spending a couple years working in the newspaper industry in Ohio and Illinois, he found a
niche working in the financial world as an accounting technician.
He holds a love for travel. He holds a fondness for attending poetry open mic nights – a mutual
consideration of listening to poets impart their creations as well as revealing his works.
He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with two cats.
About Mark’s Books
13 8
The title is based on the Biblical verse:
“No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
John 13:8 (NIV)
This is an example of how pride can overtake our whole being, causing division within aspects
of personal lives and on a social level, both national and global scale. Pride only serves itself
with disregard to serving others. Pride is an attitude that one thinks they have the capability
within themselves to deal with life’s struggles and has no need for outside source. Because
what holds us back causes division both socially (that which is external from our self) and
spiritually (that which is internal to our self) if we choose to live life alone.
Everyone struggles. What one has struggled with may help what another is struggling with.
Humbling ourselves allows us to extend ourselves to our high powers to seek serenity and
healing on a spiritual level. Humbling ourselves permits us to reach out to others so we may
find encouragement and recovery on a social level. Humbling ourselves also allows recovery on
a psychological and emotional. That’s not to say that humbling our self spiritually and humbling
our self humanly don’t intersect.
There is hope amid dark times. To humble ourselves and to humble our self does not mean we
have to agree on what others do in their lives. Each of us struggle differently. Each of us heals
differently. But we may learn how to heal differently on an individual level if we learn how
others heal on a collective level. It is harder to go the road alone, to heal based on one’s own
understanding, because what worked before may not work now – and having others who know
us on an individual basis may help reveal a new way to heal and grow and eventually blossom
into a new being.
Love one another. Love your neighbors. Though there is difficulty to love others when you are
not able to love yourself. Just to say “I need you” may be love enough to start.
3 A.M. Stories
The proverbial quote “it’s always darkest before the dawn” implies there is the anticipation of
good things approaching. The toughest position is a dual layer – being in the darkest times and
getting through the darkest time.
We are more than creatures who are merely physical beings wandering the earth. We are more
than a robotic in nature, where everyone is the same and predictable. We have a wide range of
emotions based on circumstances and interactions.
Everyone struggles at a personal level, as well as at social levels. Some people hide their
personal struggles for a variety of reasons. Some remain in the darkest recesses of those
struggles for a long period of time – some never recover.
So often life is described as a roller coaster ride, or having ups and downs, or hills and valleys.
There’s the mountain top feeling of being on top of the world, but then there’s the struggles of
going through the low times – the tormenting defeat.
Even during the tough times, there are glimpses of hope. There is nothing wrong with going
through tough times – it’s okay not be okay, it’s just not okay to stay there.
There are two things that are hard to admit when going through tough times
1) being able to recognize the tough time and recognizing that others have also
journeyed through difficult times
2) being able to know when help is needed, then seeking help in the suitable places and
with the appropriate people.
This collection of poetry demonstrates that struggles exist, while recognizing those glimmers of
hope, and understanding the dawning of good things yet to come is at hand.