A Soldier's Prayer Poems

A Soldier's Prayer Poems is the work of a lifetime, for Vietnam Veteran Max Reade. Through poetry, he shares his journey of pain and loss in war, along with the joy and wisdom he has gained through it all. The purpose of his work is to inspire the reader to look deeper into their own thoughts and emotions, enabling them to see others with greater understanding and compassion. The poems are coupled with impactful and thought provoking illustrations by a young talented artist named Grace Otto.

This book of poetry is the work of a lifetime, Max's lifetime. Now 74 years old, Max started writing poetry when he was ten years old. His only goals in writing poetry were to explore his emotions and "have fun." These two goals are his hope for you, the reader, to get in touch with your thoughts and feelings, and, also, to have fun.
Born in Deming, New Mexico, in 1946, Max and his family moved to El Paso, Texas, when he was four. His father found work on Ft. Bliss as a plumber. Max grew up with his older sister, Mary Jean and his younger brother, Guadalupe, or "Lupe." He attended a Catholic elementary school where reading did not come easily to him. He discovered later that he was dyslexic.
His father died when he was nine years old; initially, his poetry was dark. He was fascinated with Edgar Allen Poe, not the subject so much, but how it flowed. As he grew older, he studied the naturalist Henry David Thoreau.
Max graduated from Burgess High School in May 1966. He joined the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1970, and earned the rank of Sergeant. After having served in Vietnam, he returned to the states and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. While employed in a number of jobs, because of his PTSD, he continued to work on his poetry. Max currently lives in El Paso, Texas. (email: makiereade4@gmail.com)
Max feels poetry lives closely to music, song writing, theater, and literature. He was very fortunate to have been introduced to Grace Otto, an emerging new artist, literally on the scene. The book cover and pages of his poetry are illustrated by Grace Otto with her visual impressions of his writing. Both the poetry and the art are fun to see, read, reflect on and enjoy. Grace Otto is a 17 year-old high school senior who lives in Utica, New York. Grace began her interest in art at the age of 11. She enjoys using different mediums to include charcoal, oil, watercolor and graphite. Born into a military family, Grace has lived in Texas, Washington, Kansas, Maryland, Colorado and eight years in Germany. Being a part of this book has been a great honor, especially because of her appreciation for those who have served and currently serve in the military. Her goal is to attend the Pratt Art Institute in Utica and eventually own her own art gallery.