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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Clothes opus 35

How interesting to think that the human animal
Can change its demeanor by donning different bits of cloth.
To go from one mood to another,
Just by zipping up another style or color.

Of course one knows of the octopus as a change artist
And the chameleon fading from brown to green.
But with greater external effort, humans have mimicked
Fellow creatures to blend in or stand out,
By using cotton or denim; attracting the other
Or, in a uniform, to raise feelings of fear or admiration.

Entomophagy I opus 38

Do you know that, strangely now,
Early Atlantic slaves were fed on the then, undesirable lobster?
Today, with ever-reduced grazing areas on the planet
And fisheries that are pressed with over exploitation,
Humans are now contemplating returning to
A once ancestral desired cuisine of termites and their kin
Which at present are, by many, considered as absolutely horrible.

Bizarre how food choice is determined by
Fashion or need or revulsion;
What's different between a shelled sea creature
And terrestrial beings with an exoskeleton?

Communication Parameters of a New Generation opus 63

My new daughter-in-law made it immediately clear:
"I do not wish to talk--a text now and then is permissible."
"All my friends speak with their parents-in-law
Only once or twice a year", (you foolish man).
In spite of foolishly attempting to talk,
Our relationship evolved worse and worse.

Strange and sad that a modern young woman
Can overpower a simple wish
Of an accomplished old man from another generation
Rendering an awkward silence--
Occasionally obtaining an insincere verbal intercourse between us.

Trees and Turkeys opus 217

Displaying a DC Christmas tree each year from a different state,
Is far superior than pardoning an innocent turkey at Thanksgiving--
One, the death of a tree in its prime,
The other, life for a domesticated totally innocent bird,
Which is a genetic corruption of a magnificent wild creature.

(Remember the feud between Jefferson and Franklin
to name the national bird--the eagle vs the turkey!
I guess it is best we are not mass slaughtering
our national bird for human consumption,
celebrating a mythical (?) dinner with those whom
we would soon annihilate.)

In a Poet's Mind opus 220

'From Wok to Chopsticks'
I saw written on the paper sleeve;
Kindly delivered to me,
Packaged with food from a friend.
My mind transformed this logo
Into a musical variation:

From the shell-shaped utensil--
Heated by open fire--
It creates food for sustenance
Which is lifted to the mouth
With two delicate sticks
Dexterously manipulated by agile fingers!

Christmas Owls, Nuptially Vocalizing opus 244

I woke early on the Friday before Christmas Monday.
My first Great Horned Owls' nuptial calls of the winter.
How wonderful that they once again have returned to me,
As they have for the almost half century I have lived here.
I had been dreaming of squash and mashed potatoes,
With a parcel of turkey in some unknown kitchen--
All warm with smells of deliciousness.
It is Christmas and my owls are unknowingly
Welcoming this time to be warm of heart and to remember
All the varied past times that we humans
Have created to make a short winter day,
Special for our complex human spirits.

A Christmas greeting from a Humanist.

A New Perspective on Santa opus 252

This is a saga told to me by my son, Pierre.
Rowan, my grandson, was being initiated
Into the stories of Santa Claus and
From where some presents come.
After a few tales of initiation, Rowan became emotional--
Non-cooperative, crying, and with belligerent behavior.
Both parents were clueless as to why.

After a time, it was slowly revealed
That the concept of Santa coming down the chimney
Created a disturbing thought of a stranger-intruder.
This might be because of all the news
Of violence surrounding us?
This imagined intrusion outscored
The thought of incoming presents!

New Year's Eve opus 253

Today is 2023; Tomorrow will be 2024.
Time, when contemplated, is a funny thing.
There are 'other' peoples' calendars
Which do not coincide with 'ours'.
Calendars, besides dates,
Reflect various histories and events;
It is all relevant to the awareness of a culture.
In addition, the months in a 'year' are often
Relegated to the cycling of the moon or the sun,
Yielding conflicting nomenclature of 'time'.
Months are named for people or events--
But why is December, the 12th month,
Named 'Deci', meaning 10?!
Even the days' names have individual significance.
Time is an imaginary fiction, defined by human need and desire
To have illusionary control over an overwhelming universe.

Book Banning opus 275

Why do certain groups of the species, sapiens,
Now that this species reads and writes,
Battle each other to abolish written knowledge
Of that of the other group,
Forcing contrary 'themes' to overwhelm, ideologically?
Well, perhaps,--idiocentric beliefs
That 'I am right--down with the other'.

A wise person, coping with this enigma, once said:
'Anger (or an absolute adherence to a dogma)
Is a form of ignorance.'
Consider the college kid who returns home, vacationing.
I was such a kid, but thankfully, I had educated parents,
Who only gently chided me for my 'outlandish' thoughts,
Knowing the same, they had endured.

Why has English Lost 'Thou'? opus 287

In a younger time during High School and Antioch College courses,
I always thoroughly enjoyed my studies of Shakespeare's works.
Also, then, I became very aware of older English.
'Why hast Thou not taken Thy shoes to the cobbler Thineself?
To Thee I do ask.' (I just constructed this example.)
In the 1600's, for instance, 'You' was used conventionally for the upper class.
Quakers resisted, using only 'Thou' for singular and 'You' for the plural,
Resulting in many arrests, because of their insulting disrespect.
The story goes that William Penn, being a Quaker, founded Pennsylvania,
As a refuge in the New World, where their practice could continue.
Being a Quaker, Penn also founded Pennsylvania with no bloodshed--
Just agreements with the native people.
(If only Israel and other new territorial establishments
Could have been founded on that same model!)

By the time of the Civil War, 'Thou', except for the Quakers, was rare,
Especially in the new America, where most were more egalitarian,
And 'You' was commonly used for everyone.
Indeed, 'Thou' became most unpopular, also in England.
The disappearance in England was widespread, occurring region by region.
However, even today in Yorkshire, 'Tha' ('Thou') is still heard.
So the use of 'Thou' suggested that the speaker was superior,
And the listener was of lower or inferior class.

Today, for one, the use of 'Thou'/''Thee'/'Thy' seems to be honorific,
The misunderstanding being that the use of archaic language,
Elevates 'regular' speech, making it more formal!
These examples are found in legal, scientific, and academic contexts;
Also one encounters archaic language in historical liturgy.
If a servant girl addresses a superior male as 'Thou',
It is not because she is disrespectful, but rather,
Because he is an older male, and is of a higher class.

Another point is that English is losing its grammatical case and morphology,
Resulting in less formal linguistic intercourse.
(Perhaps I should stop with 'intercourse',
But all know what that actually means!) Continuing!
Perhaps people became infatuated with royalty,
And 'Thou' was too informal and fell out of use.
'You' also conferred formality and might compliment an unknown listener?
Eventually this might have just become the more formal version.
The use of 'You' might have one also attempting
To avoid making a 'mistake' with the listener.
Perhaps, too, with verb economy in mind,
By using 'Thou', the verb conjugation had to end with 'ST':
'Why doeST Thou? Thou shouldST speak properly!
Other languages did not have this 'problem'.

Today, we hear 'You All' and 'Yous', when addressing a group,
So 'You' switches to the singular and 'You All' is unmistakably plural.
If Nora, my late wife, a linguist, could read this, written by a biologist,
She would either just plain cringe, or be amazed and offer a soft compliment!
In conclusion, I remain reminiscent for somehow using 'Thou',
Because it gives a softness and sense of intimacy to our speech,
And without 'Thou', English has lost one wonderful means of expression.

Where does Prejudice End? opus 288

I have held this in for many decades.

I was raised a progressive Protestant
(I am now, as you may have read, a Humanist),
In Newton Massachusetts as a Congregationalist,
A church resulting from the competition with the Prebyterians
Where the 'Congregation' regulates and governs itself.
I rang the huge church bell for services (now automated!);
I led the young people's group to reach out to others--
We shared meetings with both Catholics and Jews.
(I now realize that Muslims were not at all present then in my life.)
I was a tolerant, open-minded young person.

I played music (see previous poems) in school orchestras
And met many other young musicians.
I was in a jazz band led by a Catholic trumpet player.
Because of his 'loudness' (like Mozart who detested the trumpet),
I moved to another trio with a Jewish leader.
When the trumpet player asked, "Why did you go to 'that group'?",
I answered, "Because they are better musicians."
I was open and accepting of people who came into my life.

In High School, I became good friends
With Eddy Fineberg, a French Horn player.
I had a 'tour' with him through his kitchen,
Where he explained that if I ever came to dinner,
(to which, I was never invited),
I could not eat off his 'Kosher cutlery'.
Later, when I was talking with his intellectual sister,
His mother cleared everyone out and began to admonish me
That I was not to interact with her daughter again,
Because my 'people' (ancestors) had ravaged Jerusalem
And contributed to the Jewish downfall--
I was personally thunderstruck and devastated.
On the one hand, I understand just what was going on,
But on the other, as a young person, it was difficult
To bear the pain and the feeling of near betrayal.

Fifty years later while chatting at a High School reunion,
Another fellow student said he had gone through the same situation.

I have lived knowing an Armenian High School girlfriend,
The people of whom had suffered in their own genocide.
My first playmate was a black first grader, in an all-white school--
His name I even remember--Billy Meritt.
I have lived with Blacks where I taught in Southern Africa.
I have taught with the last of the Constantinople Greeks in Turkey.
I have worked in the Civil Rights Movement.
I have also realized that ALL groups have their prejudices.
In that light I try always to remain open.
I have realized too, that some groups
Get more 'publicity' than so many others.

We should all feel the guilt for our subconscious dislikes
And realize that every group, with very few exceptions,
No matter what seems evident,
Has just as many prejudices as any other.
I believe this is why our beautiful blue planet
Is so very divided (with its human populations) amongst itself.

Our Elders. To the Young Ones Around Me opus 289

An aware elder has been around for a long while,
And, being aware, most likely has acquired a good deal of knowledge.
If an elder conveys some observation or thought to one, younger,
A good path for the young one to follow is listen, thank, then contemplate,
And act, if it seems appropriate to heed those words.
Politely, take it or not, after some thought,
But do maintain the elder in your circle of knowledge sources;
Never break the tie nor be angry, annoyed, or abusive in word or thought,
For there just might be the occasion when that elder's words,
Will be invaluable in your successful progress forward--
No cost. No obligation!

Intraspecific Conflict opus 298

Charles Darwin in his 'On the Origin of Species' (1859),
Observed that speciation and subspeciation result from geographic isolation.
All organisms on earth appear to follow this hypothesis.
Of course this mainly pertains to adaptation to a varying environment
And reduction of competition for food and needed territory.
With humans, we have varied superficial morphology,
Resulting in varying skin color, nose shape, eye color, height, etc.
But humans, more than other species, have culture and religion,
Which results, to the human mind, in a huge differentiation of the 'other'.
As a result, the human intraspecific or population competition
And conflict forms a new dimension,
Compared to other specific life on our planet.
Evaluating these differences, humans have a more complex level
Of Darwin's concept of isolation and adaptation to a new environment.
Culture, ideology, and religion result in greater potential 'intraspecific' conflict,
Which we are all observing and living through every single day!
With humans, geographic isolation seems not to reduce competition,
But because of other factors mentioned, may increase that population conflict.
Might our wonderful minds actually lead us to our own
Potentially peaceable intraspecific downfall?

Are White Camembert and Brie Doomed to Extinction? opus 305

The power and strength and endurance of life on our planet
Is due to adaptation, thus survival, to ever-changing conditions on earth.
The antithesis of this is the desire of humans for standardization--
Sameness and comfort to continual and 'familiar' known entities.
Biologically, this leads, of course, to ever-weakening biological systems,
Which Homo sapiens are managing and controlling for their own pleasure.
How is this at all germane to our cheeses?
Well, we are facing a collapse of microbial diversity.
We have been relying on a single fragile strain of fungi
Which is now at a risk of dying out of existence on our planet.
To create our cheeses, Penicillium biforme has been chosen
To yield the desired colors, flavors, and aroma which the populus desires.
Now P. camemberti, a developed strain, considered a 'species',
Cannot reproduce, and must be continually created
By ever-more difficult cloning methods.
Along the way, other strains of mold have vanished from disuse.
The desired fluffy white mold, which grows quickly,
Has reached a condition which is locked in and not now found in the wild!
With variations of P. camemberti being completely stifled,
There has been an increase of harmful mutational errors in its genome.

Other cheeses, for the same reasons, are not out of danger--
A couple are Gorgonzola and Roquefort.
The single variety of cloned bananas, with an effective pest,
Could be completely decimated.
Variations of wheat strains are vital for survival, now facing the Climate Crisis.
Finally, if diversity within a species is lost, adaptability is lost.
With this in mind, we humans must revel in the pending enjoyment
Of the future variety of slight changes in color, aroma, and flavor!

Our Holy Land opus 306

One side, still consuming food blessed by the priest,
While the other is now ingesting grasses and animal feed.
Dear people, what have you done to each other?
From the first invasion in '48
To the continual rebellions of discontent;
Why must all this pass amongst you?
Is there no way to at least somehow coexist?
Why must you both practice necropolitics--
Holding the bodies of each to bargain,
Knowing that you each must bury the dead the same day!
Can the claims of belief not be modified,
To reach a softer dogmatic tolerance
And perhaps a more realistic and democratic governance?

The former horror borne by one group is now transformed,
By attempting to right things, into a horror of both.

If human history could be redone, how might you rewrite such?

Wish to have a More Exact Calendar? opus 316

Many people have wished to have a more permanent calendar,
Where the dates would be on the same day, forever!
Holiday dates and scheduling problems
Would be fixed in an organized manner.
Christmas and New Year's Day would always be on a Monday,
While the Fourth of July would always be on a Thursday.
One feature would be having every six years,
A leap week, rather than a leap day.
The extra seven days would occur at the end of that December,
Which, as leap day attempts to do, would 'eliminate calendar drift'.
In addition, the year would be divided into four three-month quarters.
The first two months of each quarter would be comprised of 30 days,
While the third month of that quarter would have 31 days.
And again, it is claimed this would regularize things
To be easier and less costly.
The name of the calendar to accomplish all this
Is the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar.

In reality, though, our present-day calendar may be the one,
Into which we are locked.

Lady Justice opus 323

Lady Justice stands before us, blindfolded,
And holding up her scales of Rightful Balance.
So, to give a verdict, how does she judge:

The taking of territory and killing to maintain a presence
Occurring, perhaps for the thousands of years of human history;

The raping of the other's women and girls to humiliate and anger;

To conquer in the name of a religion which is always 'right and true';

To initiate genocide to rid the undesirable other;

To maintain schools and centers of propaganda to influence minds;

To block commerce in order to starve the other into submission;

To threaten with deadly weapons to cause inaction of the 'rightful other';

And on to whatever action of injustice the human mind might concoct.

Hats Which Define Us opus 326

It struck me hard, to see Marjorie Taylor Greene,
Defiantly wearing the MAGA red hat in Congress,
Where traditionally, no one ever wore a hat,
Especially not with a logo portraying tension and challenge.

Head coverings, historically, have always manifested meaning--
Kafias, Yamakas, team caps, helmets, scarfs--
Even in the ancient past to define a new religious position.
Paul in First Corinthians (11:2-16),
To announce the new religion's identification,
That instead of a man covering his head to honor god,
And a woman, leaving her head uncovered to honor her man,
Paul wrote that a man should uncover his head to honor god,
And a woman should always cover her head to honor her man.

Head coverings, like T-shirts with logos,
Scream out a person's position in life.
Do not be complacent and let these messages pass by you--
The silent messages on headgear around us,
Mark philosophical territory,
Like the territory of a wolf is marked with his urine.

Musical Similarities Over the Centuries opus 331

As I have written, music has been a huge part of my life.
I was listening this morning to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach,
Celebrating his 31 March 1685 birthday, soon to come.
His winding, polyphonic, continuous musical-cadence sounds
Suddenly connected the musical sounds in my head
To other similar styles--at least for me--
Which have the same continuous flow, if seemingly different sound.
The first which comes to mind are Amish hymns,
Which I heard during a Sunday service in a midwestern,
Congregants segregated by sex, temporarily cleaned out barn.
Their singing took me back to the Khoisan (Bushman) people
Who sang for me one evening in the Kalahari with their profound magic.

Another important musical type for me is the beautiful
Continuous sounds of Scottish classical bagpipe pibroch style.
My mind then jumped to the similar continuous sounds
Of electronic music of my teenage years.
There are so many composers of our time with their own such style--
The 12-tone System of Arnold Schoenberg, for one.

All of these continuous styles from many centuries
Require attention and concentration to fully appreciate.
This is perhaps why our today's listeners are not capable of a full acceptance--
Our society now needs more and more instant gratification,
Which allows such music to be purposely ignored in our minds.
We need to play such music in our homes to our children,
So that such musical history is not lost to the common sounds of the masses,
And studied only by the esoteric musical scholars!

(Dear Readers--explore the genres presented here in a few minutes--not too fast,
And partake in beautiful musical styles which took me decades to discover!)

Memories Elicited from a Folded Sarong opus 332

Looking at a pile of folded cloth items,
I spied a sarong, purchased 45 years ago on my travels through Bali.
A batiked cotton, formed in the shape of a huge tube.
One slipped into this giant tube and with proper folding,
Reduced it down to a tight and snuggly fit around the waist.
Cool, comfortable, stylish men's apparel,
Sort of reminding me of the much shortened
Roman military toga worn by the soldiers of Caesar's time,
Or the Scottish Great Kilt, pleated while lying on the ground,
And, then by lying atop, the potential wearer folded it over the body,
Tied it with a line at the waist,
And stood to brush off the adhering bits of vegetation.

My modern kilts continually await my swinging them on to delight the onlookers!

Our Two Critical Compromises opus 333

In order to muster strength enough to counter British rule,
Conflicting opinions of the worth of African humans, transferred to the New World,
Were compromised in our Constitution in Article 1, section 2,
Valuing the 'voting population' worth of slaves.
This decision has plagued our nation to this day.

Additionally, in order to maintain the individual autonomy of each state,
Versus the need to create a strong, legitimate nation,
A balance had to be decided to allow the demands and will of both needs--State versus Federal.
For this nation, the two outcomes of these two compromises,
Has now and ever shall be the continual give and take,
Determining the ultimate outcome of this experiment in democracy,
Manifesting the final result in our human 'pursuit of happiness'.

(The Texas--Federal border conflict is a present-day example of such.)
(The Florida education laws are a present-day example of the former point.)

Slavery--Here?--In OUR History? opus 336

During the '70's, I was hired to teach by the University in Lesotho, Africa.
Lesotho, being very small, I would occasionally travel to the surrounding South Africa.
This large, Apartheid country had a white ruling minority.
Apartheid means 'apartness' and mimicked the segregation in my US country.
There, I witnessed many examples of cruelty and segregation between 'races'.

Many years later, I heard Nikki Haley question slavery in historical US,
While challenging Trump for the presidency.
I, and many others, were incredulous listening to her denials!
A citizen here must admit that our White House construction used slave labor.
Now Florida's governor has created laws to soften historical facts.

My point here, is that the aftermath of our sad history
Has left many 'historical fossils', manifesting what actually occurred.

I heard today about the founding of 'Easter Monday',
When Blacks in our country started this celebration after 1878,
(When segregated egg rolling at the White House was initiated as an Easter celebration),
Because Black people were forced to work on Easter sunday.
They appeared on Monday and celebrated in all their finery,
(Just as their white counterparts did on Sunday!),
On the next, closest day to the period, when hopes for some of the white world members
Celebrated the new Sunday day of--'hope for the world has arisen'.
If one leafs through the fossil historical recorded accounts,
One finds numerous reported facts which, of course, clinch this slave history.

In the light of Florida's actions today, do many really wish to 'leaf through'?

Coping With the Climate Crisis opus 342

The temperature in our world is absolutely ever-gradually rising.
This is a result of our own success in polluting technology.
Industry, transportation, cooling and heating of our living quarters.
There are two approaches to this problem:
The first is to temporarily alleviate the great heat--
Planting more trees, covering irrigation canals with solar panels,
Painting all rooftops white, lightening black asphalt with coatings,
Photovoltaic panels, batteries, solar box cooking,
Using methane production from human waste to burn for energy.
But these are only environmental bandages.
The second and ultimate effort must be to radically change our technology
To less polluting systems and attitudes therewith in how we basically live.
This change will take willpower,
But it is a must for a comfortable and successful future.

Heat--The Silent Killer opus 344

Our farm workers are laboring in rising temperatures.
When will they completely revolt to defend their lives
In conditions of blistering heat
While the rest of us are consuming our nourishment
In artificially cooled and comfortable environs?
Do we truly appreciate and are we grateful
That these invincible workers labor on?

The basic question, though,
Is why would certain (e.g. FL and TX) governors
Sign laws to counter efforts
Of more humane members in their governments
To allow temporary shade and water and rest when needed
For harvesters of our food, toiling over the heated earth?
One governor is caught blurting out
If heat remedies "are enacted here and there, it will cause
A lot of problems 'down there' for our farming businesses."

We still, sadly, value our fellow persons on a scale.

The Scottish Bank opus 349

Every time I go into a bank, I remember an experience in Scotland.
When Scotland was forced (1770) to join England--the new 'Britain'--
They were allowed to maintain their healthcare,
Educational system, and print their own currency.
The English were always very 'particular' about receiving Scottish notes
And often shamed people who used them in England.
A father, sending his child off to school in England
Was meticulous to make sure all the accompanying notes
Were English to avoid embarrassment and delays.

On that 'note', I shall continue to relate my tale.
In a small town in Scotland,
I needed to exchange my Traveler's Checks for notes.
Britain uses both notes, theoretically, as completely equivalent.
As the teller was counting out my 'pound-refund',
I watched carefully if she would mix the notes--English and Scottish.
Sure enough, the mixed pile built up and at that point,
I called out loudly, "No, please, I want only Scottish notes!"
Banking progress ceased for a moment and my surrounding patrons
Immediately understood that this 'foreigner'
Understood their historic humiliation.
There were smiles and nods in my direction, conveying their gratitude!
I left the bank, fulfilled that I had made
A small positive mark on an oppressed people.

We are having a Telephone Speech Crisis opus 359

I am almost 83 in August.
I have raised millions of dollars by telephone for wildlife and open space.
I also receive hundreds of calls asking for something
Or informing me of an appointment or something informational.

The new trend is to employ many less expensive--cost cutting operators,
Most recruited from Central or South America, or more, from the Philippines,
Who do not often speak clearly or succinctly.
The many North American operators are mostly young female citizens,
Who are, over time, speaking more and more rapidly.
What I am observing over my many years,
Is that the foreign operators are not well trained in English
And that the citizen women uncoached operators speak so rapidly,
One has a true difficulty in following and comprehending their message,
Let alone catch their mangled name at the introduction.
As for the doctor or company for which they are calling
These pivot people are well trained in their professions and how to speak.
So my basic question is why on earth are 'professional' telephoners
Not trained properly in speech, speed of delivery, and clarity?
Actors on stage must learn proper speech and delivery.
Why are telephone informers not groomed
To properly execute their message as well?

Mohammed of Gaza opus 363

His name is Mohammed.
He lives in Gaza.
At 14 he was exploring
The ruins of his home
And came across a canister.
Resulting from the powerful explosion,
He has no left arm
Nor any right-hand fingers.
(His brother helps him to urinate.)
Saved by four doctors,
He may still die--
There is no medical backup.

Ten percent of all bombs
Remain dangerously unexploded.
It will take 40 years in the future
To clear all unexploded explosives.
During that period many inquisitive children
Will continue to die.

Memorial Day--May 2024 opus 368

Once again we commemorate a day
To remember those who died amidst the horrors of war,
Participating in conflicts which most personally never chose.
Being very aggressive and yet just another animal life form,
Humans have endeavored, but not yet learned
How to solve potential conflicts relating to territory and ideology.
Yes, attempts have continually been made, but with no final success.
Are we locked into the confines of our reptilian brain,
Or will we be, at some time in our future history,
Able to gently and peaceably come to the necessary compromises
Which will insure our successful sojourn
On this beautiful, very special blue planet?

Our Diastemas opus 387

When I mention to most people, asking what a diastema is,
The majority do not know--even if they exhibit one!
Of course, it is the space between front upper and/or lower incisors.
I lived with a diastema most of my life,
Until I needed to have partials (deciding that implants were too expensive).
As they were molded, I failed to mention I had a--now non-existent--diastema.
As a result the teeth in my upper jaw are all shifted to the left!
I am beyond vanity at nearly 83, and find it just one more fun talking point.

Having had this condition, I always noticed, especially in black Americans,
That many singers, speakers, politicians who sported a diastema.
My wondering came to an end, after a bit of research.
First, it is an African trait, whites exhibiting one because we are
all basically African!
In Africa (eg Ghana and Nigeria) with European prejudice,
Africans there were not valuing nor enjoying their diastemas,
But with independence, the whole concept flipped into a positive trend.
Today, 95 percent in Africa find MMD's (Maxillary Midline Diastemas)
very beautiful.
Moreover, 95 percent of the diastemaless population wish and actually
want to create one!
Genetically, developmental causes affect as many as 36 percent of black people,
While affecting as few as 3.5 percent in the caucasian population.
We in this country and possibly in Europe
Do not even think about a diastema and its influence on attractiveness,
But now-a-days in Africa and perhaps those in the western world,
Black people are very aware of the little space between their teeth!

AI and Honey Bees--New Introductions into Society opus 390

AI is a new 'entity' entering our society.
It shall bring many 'benefits' to medicine, education, research and warfare,
But shall also be utilized by those who will harm society.
AI, in the greater picture, with its thirst for power, will be affecting climate change
In a major and exceedingly harmful way,
Unless several breakthroughs to lessen negative effects on society are
manifested.

Similarly, the introduction of the (European!) Honey Bee has had a
parallel biological effect.
It was introduced to produce honey, but more,
To pollinate the ever-increasing flowering plants in our 'growing' agriculture.
Being introduced, this 'new' species in a new place is vulnerable to the whims of evolution,
Including the many pests which have taken advantage of a vulnerable 'foreigner'.
If the use of Honey Bees fails, due to disease and increasing Climate Crisis temperatures,
Will the whole pollinating system of North America
Crash to a halt with simultaneously decreasing tumultuous food production?
Great ideas and systems may appear ingenious and invulnerable,
But in the long run, may not survive the desired intended human system!

The Afterlife opus 428

Humans, having the ability to contemplate the future,
Have struggled for millennia to comprehend
The seeming finality of the end of life, named death.
To compromise the anxiety and fear that the state of death manifests,
Many rituals and beliefs and philosophies have arisen in history:
Burning the body, leaving it to be consumed and decay, interning it in
the earth;
(Many Muslims bury down and to the side; other groups bury straight down)
If of status, wrapping it as a preserved mummy,
Or embalmed forever on view in a mausoleum.
Along with all this are serious beliefs, clinching what may occur.
No matter what conditions humans will face,
The question of death and what new world may unfold will be perpetually with us.

To No One opus 434

In my youth you taught me your strong ways.
I was tolerant and interested and did not repel you.
You made it clear when showing me your dishware--
If I were to come and share repast,
I would be forbidden to use that dishware.
That was my introduction to your eating laws.

Later and older, I was talking with a female teen,
Who was plain to view, but nicely intelligent.
Her mother entered and cleared out all but me
And announced that my ancestors had destroyed Jerusalem
And I was never to become close to her daughter.
I was shocked, but innocently agreed with what, I was not certain.

Attempting dating, I was snubbed once by other parents
When I arrived to pick up their daughter for a dance.
At my fiftieth reunion I heard the same story from a fellow male student.

(I donated my hand carved stone for the new high school building!)

Much later in my seventies I returned from far away
To the general territory and people with whom I grew up.
I was kindly invited to the home of a now fellow elder.
They kept the laws to which I was introduced so long ago.
When we took repast, I found I was eating off a paper plate!
This to me was another blow going way back to that girl's mother.

Now I watch and have watched since 1948,
The constant battles and the taking of territory
With that reinvasion, 2000 years later.
Yes, there have been great injustices,
But is all this worth it to either side and to their innocent children
Who know nothing of this history and are just taught to suffer and hate?
Guilt is very powerful and sometimes can be misled
To an erroneous and painful conclusion.

A Good Intention, Drowns Some Hopes opus 435

I taught Biology at the University of Lesotho, Africa,
For several years.
While there, I befriended a Swiss fish farmer,
Who in all innocence created a large fish pond,
By damming up a donga or deep crevasse,
Formed from excessive erosion.
The countryside was riddled with these long, deep wastelands.
The intention of my Swiss friend was to create
An aquaculture industry for the country.
In this case good intentions ended in disaster.
One of the challenges was to teach a landlocked nation to eat fish,
But that was not the route of these troubles.

One late morning an alarmed villager quickly knocked
On the doors of our campus.
Three teenagers had slipped down the steep,
Muddy banks of the new pond,
Struggled into ever-deeper water, and had drowned--all three!
What to do? Villagers had been digging away for hours at the dam.
Their intention was only to lower the water and retrieve the bodies.
It would take days. No one wished to, nor was really able,
To swim and recover bodies in the muddy water.
Suddenly (and long before I became an aquaculturist),
It hit me, there must be seines nearby which were used for fish harvesting.
One long one was immediately employed and our 'fishing' commenced.
Soon, sadly, the net was drawn onto the bank,
And three young bodies were seen in this netted tangle.
Their arms were frozen in a painful, as if reaching-for-air position,
Their fingers and ears had been badly nibbled, feeding the innocent fish.
The whole operation had been sickening with a terrible tinge of tragedy.
The campus rescue teachers quietly returned home.

Coincidentally, the University had an outdoor swimming pool
For teachers and their guests. The school was far from a town or city,
And perhaps the designers of the campus felt
The pool would help entertain foreign, urban staff.
So, then, teachers, being teachers, invited students to learn to swim.
However, also at that time, a native Mosotho
Was chosen as the new Vice Chancellor.
The VC, perhaps in a surge of nationalism (?), closed down the pool.
He viewed it as a western, useless pastime.
This action took place just after the staff volunteered
To recover the bodies of those drowned teens.
True, nets were used to retrieve the victims,
And no swimming actually occurred,
But if those three were able to swim--an unknown skill--
The horror of that day would have been just an hypothesis.
The rightful feeling of the Mosotho concerning foreigners
Taking only seeming pleasure in the pool--
Opposed to considering the good being done
By innocently teaching swimming--
Draws out the conflicts of one culture benevolently imposed on another.

If the fish industry were successful and many dongas were aqueously filled,
Swimming would have become a natural ability,
As well as adding fish -- a wholesome protein source for the people.

Sports - To Be or Not To Be opus 441

I am no great follower of sports.
I see them on the one hand
As a human diversion, watching grown people,
Usually making several million dollars,
While batting a ball from place to place;
Often, in some sports,
To pound the opponent almost to death
And, as we well know,
Delayed death has also sometimes occurred.

On the other hand, the excitement and surge of adrenalin,
May divert the aggression of some people
Which might well avert physical harm on fellow humans--
Although it is well known that spousal abuse
Occasionally occurs following a lost football game.

Whatever might be the correct hypothesis,
Sports are here to stay, making millions for some
And filling some obvious human need,
The huge support manifested by the crowds.

A Scottish Influence opus 457

Early America fought a Revolution against Britain--England and Scotland.
To address the royalty of England, one said, 'Your Majesty',
Yielding the power to the royal figure,
While addressing Scottish royalty, one said, 'My Liege',
Reminding the royal that the power was to serve and protect the subject.
This latter tradition derived from the clan system,
Where the chief was responsible for his people.
Whether or not it was conscience in the Founders' minds,
The final decision to have a President or a King,
Most likely was a result of the Scottish mindset and influence,
Where the President was to serve the people,
And not have power over them--
Yes, to serve the country and its people,
Through the ultimate power--that of the Constitution.
Even in these tumultuous times, most desire this tradition to maintain.

Strange Footprints opus 461

Strange footprints in the hardened sand;
Seemingly the correct stride for a human,
But rounded anterior ends and crisp margins all around;
And indentations where strap attachments met the sole.
Yes, the dimensions were consistent with those of hominin tracks.
The track makers appeared to be from juveniles or small adults.
There is no final proof of actual shoes
Found from the Middle Stone Age--yet--
But surely why not--sandals would have been a lifesaver
From foot lacerations on a stony substrate!

Perhaps this apparel worn by us now
Is similar to 'theirs' so long ago!

My Verbal Rambles with Regan of Texas opus 466

Hello, Regan, It is the middle of the night and my mind still races.
For the stores, prohibiting those distinguished guests with bare feet,
Just sew some of your own moccasins for your shopping experience.
COMPROMISE WITH TRIVIAL MATTERS, BUT STILL WIN.
Glad Ms. Caroll is mending.
Just had part of my head amputated for cancer.
Had a jovial time with the surgeon. We know each other well.
I have used guns on the farm now and then--rats!
(I hunted one deer with a bow for three years and succeeded--THAT is sport.)
My brother, 20 years old, was shot in the back from a long distance,
So no sound was heard--he just dropped next to his hunting partner.
I opposed the Vietnam war and was vindicated
When MacNamara stated before he died that it was a 'wrongful' war.
I have historical schizophrenia with guns and war.
What fun we could have discussing over a good ale!
I would even go barefoot to be accepted in your presence in that bar,
If you so insisted, and of course if they even let us in.

I am alone for Thanksgiving, so I am planning a simple repast
Of Taters, Nips, some good Scotch, and of course Haggis.
Are you familiar with such?--with the ignorant, a bad reputation,
But so delicious--no different than a wurst or a humble 'hotdog'.
All include, historically, everything left on the floor and walls. . . .
And we eat that stuff at our national pastime. . . .
So why does everyone dump on Haggis???
Damn, it would be nice to have a good face to face with you.
And in between chats, I would help you wrangle up some Fallows
For shipment to some rich Texan rancher with 12 oil wells!
(We need those rich extravagant ones to keep us peasants in business.)

Be so well!!  Frank.

Our Gladiator History opus 468

Our early species eventually lived in small groups.
Violence was usually occasional, but real.
Later, male Homo sapiens ritualized warfare in 'theatre'.
Cultures even used heads of the vanquished
As a ball, to play games of sport.
Then came the Romans and the gladiator era.
Often slaves or conquest-ones fought and died for status.
Crowds of fellow humans came to watch their usual demise.
Today, many participate in war games and reenactments.
Also, we delight and enjoy our (generally)
Bloodless but very competitive sports.
And we add to all that the vicarious entertainment
Of films and 'pods' depicting violence of one sort or another.
Why is it, fascinated drivers slow down and gawk at traffic accidents?

I sadly conclude that we are a species which basically and really,
Enjoys even vicarious violence upon each other.

My Ode to the Haggis opus 471

For many, 25 January is an important and meaningful date,
As it is the birthday of the great Scottish poet and lyricist,
Robert Burns (1759-1796).
He wrote Jeanie With the Light brown Hair, Auld Lang Syne,
An Ode to Washington, while his own country
Was fighting the new rebellious America,
As well as later, an Ode to the Freedom Tree
During the French Revolution--
This, while his country was opposing France!
A daring and romantic poet, taking many risks.
But on the lighter side, he playfully wrote the Ode to the Haggis.
Just what is Haggis, the 'national dish' of Scotland?
All cultures, being unwasteful of needed food,
Combined those animal parts, for us, sort of on the margin.
Wurst of the Germanics, Wieners (hot dogs) of North America,
And, of course, Mexican Menudo and Buche, both with small intestine,
And Haggis of Scotland--lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas and so forth;
These traditional items combined are called the offal,
Collected by mainly amputating the esophagus
And pulling out all the attached organs thereto,
Then adding in those other goodies, such as kidneys and liver.
This mixture is diced, adding rolled oats, stuffed into a sheep's stomach,
(Remember, weiner material was stuffed into small intestines)
And baked to perfection--only combined taters and nips and Scotch are needed
To finalize the tasty combination--
So unwasteful and delicious, mated with the alcohol.

Just for fun, since I will be alone for Thanksgiving,
I have ordered canned Haggis to arrive soon,
Which I will combine with my purchased turnips and potatoes.
A half bottle of real Scotch awaits, sent to me last year by an old friend.
Quietly, alone, but not, I shall commune with Rabbie anticipating his birthday.

A Ceremony Over an Opossum Skull opus 477

Humans have tended their dead over centuries in many ways:
Some burned, some left for the vultures,
Some buried in several configurations.
Are these customs instinctual, or learned through culture?

Well, I was walking around my pond the day after Thanksgiving
With my son, Pierre, and his son, my grandson, Rowan.
We watched wild turkeys in the sun, with their exploding iridescent colors;
We munched on the desert jojoba seeds, from shrubs transplanted to the farm.
Suddenly we came upon an opossum skull buried in the grass.
Rowan was immediately mesmerized, as we pointed out its morphology.
Quickly Rowan commenced pulling out neighboring grass blades
And tenderly laying these herbs over the skull.
He repeated this ritual several times, until we moved on.
As we were observing things farther from the opossum,
Rowan turned and walked all the way back to the burial site.
He then proceeded to pull more grass, further covering the skull,
Then returned to us to continue our observations.
He repeated this maneuver thrice more in the exact same way.
So sweet to see--a tiny four year old boy,
Crouching over an opossum grave, which he was helping to lay to rest.
It was then that the original question (from above) came to me--
Is this an innate behavior or something that just must be done?
I shudder thinking about the profundity of this query.
My mind drifts back to the time when Homo sapiens
Intermingled with Neanderthals, each species interacting differently
As to what is now known from their early cave habits.
It seems the Neanderthals possibly 'taught' Homo sapiens how to bury their dead.

I revel in the new knowledge we are gleaning
From modern technology and methodology.
But it seems my question still remains in the ether around us.

Story Telling opus 478

Story telling is a very human trait.
How a story is told, molds the strength or weakness
Of a person or group.
Families who know and understand their stories,
Produce stronger and better adapted individuals
Facing life's challenges.
So, talk with one another and be stronger (in life)
During your passage through time.

Scotexican Food Mix Proposal! opus 479

I was experimenting several ways
To combine Haggis with various vegetables.
One morning, just after Thanksgiving,
I combined cubes of turnips with the Scottish meat dish--
Juxtaposed and completely combined as a one food entity.
This, of course, was not very revolutionary.

Jessie, my Mexican-American wonderful farm helper,
Arrived for work that day, so I tried the combination on him.
We chatted about various other Mexican combinations using Haggis
With, say, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions,
And even avocado and pineapple with potatoes
To create a blend of the Scottish meat mix
With a very Mexican vegetable cuisine--
And Eureka! We invented the newly branded 'Scotexican' food fare!

A Culturally Blending World opus 480

On the news this morning, it was announced
That the 'new' Syria, having just ousted its dictator (Asad),
Is even singing Christmas songs in their great joy--
Know what the carol was, chosen to be broadcast?--
'Feliz Navidad', a Mexican tune well known in the US!
So we have come to a Muslim country,
Celebrating by airing a Christian song in Spanish
To celebrate their hard fought-for political victory--
All influenced by a country--the US--
A multicultural friendly (basically) nation,
Attempting to be accepting of all diverse people!

Needless Killing opus 483

My thoughts suddenly flew back to the morning
When I was six--my mother insisted that they care for my rabbits,
On a winter morning when I always took care of my pets.
On coming home from school I witnessed
The scattered white hair over the ground--
My favorites, butchered by two neighbor Boxer dogs.

So, yesterday evening, as I walked out to urge my two hens
Back into their safe shelter for the protected night's sojourn,
There were leaves all over the area near their pen--
No. The leaves were feathers near two dead bodies.
I had raised these two from their tiny beginnings.
They grew and manifested into regularly ovulating adults;
So many eggs consumed each day, with extras offered as gifts.

It was only two hens, but it really put a hole in our lives.
The sack of feed was only half used--
The remainder went to supplement the three emu.
The morning routine to check water and food suddenly ended.
The evening no longer was a time
To guide them into their safe cat carrier shelter--
The dog(?) villain had beaten me by an hour to urge them to safety.

What to do now?
I pondered a bit; then, determined, I dry plucked them,
Carefully gutted each wounded corps, saving the giblets,
And gently placed their remains in the fridge.
At least now those bodies I had so carefully fed,
Will become part of my body as their eggs had for so many months.
To me this is a superior conclusion, rather than, demanded by sentimentality,
To just bury them in the ground or, worse,
To simply heave them into the mindless trash.

A Christmas Story opus 484

Some scholars say that Christmas
Should be celebrated in the Spring,
When Jesus was actually born--
They deduced this from the, then, star formations.

Be that as it may, a question does arise:
The Three Wise Men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Very valuable gifts, even in that time.
What happened to those gifts; where did they go?

Did the innkeeper come out and see the commotion,
And demanded a larger fee, even for a stable manger?
Was it tucked away for future use?
Did Joseph invest it in his carpentry business?
Was it robbed from them on their way home?
Was it donated to the poor who surrounded them?
So many questions, of which I had never before considered.

Well, we can ponder just what the son of god
And his family actually did with all that wealth.
Hopefully, at least, they did not invest it
With some greedy politician, ready to use for his own ends!

A Thanksgiving Tidbit opus 486

For more than thirty years my little 37 acre farm
Has raised many poultry, including literally thousands of turkeys--
About 600 per year, totalling around 18,000 birds.
The first year or so we, of course, had to work out the 'bugs'.
In December, after Thanksgiving had been celebrated,
I had a few calls, giving me feedback concerning our birds.
In general, the reports were excellent--wonderful taste.
All our birds were ground raised, with mainly healthy grazing.
The one issue, if there really were one, was dry breast white meat.
That was an unexpected report from several customers.
Now I needed to figure out just what created this phenomenon.
The birds were raised quite perfectly to my mind.
I concluded that the 'problem' was not caused by our husbandry.
So, what on earth could yield this observation?
After some thought, I homed in on cooking methods.
With our birds being ground raised, the lack of huge amounts of fatteners
Created a delicious bird that was leaner than commercial turkeys.
Turkeys are most traditionally roasted with the breast up;
This method is convenient because on its back, the body sits stably in the pan.
Giving directions concerning a breast-down orientation resulted in a
perfect product;
All the breast meat was bathed in body juices during the whole cooking time.
In addition, we created a guide with weight and time rules,
Keeping in mind that a lean bird must be cooked slower and longer,
With a reduced temperature to retain more juices.
After two or three years, there were nothing but continual raves.

How to be Bailed Out with Half a Turkey opus 489

As I have said before, I raised ground-raised turkeys for three decades.
I always ordered my day-old poults through the mail.
(I believe Benjamin Franklin started this system to aid beginning farmers.)
One year I received my batch of 600 poults and started yet another year.
Part way through the season, the young birds seemed unusually large,
And indeed, by autumn, they were double the normal size.
I had inadvertently received some sort of super breed!
What on earth to do--much too large for most of my customers.
So, as usual, I fresh froze them but cut and wrapped
The exceptionally large ones in half!
Then I explained to each customer what had occurred
And 'sold them' on how unique a half turkey would appear,
Lying on a silver platter at the Thanksgiving repast!
It worked and I sold every one--and I was VERY thankful
There were no complaints, but I made certain with the breeder,
That would never happen again!

A Saturday Morning Spass opus 491

I collect Neanderthal stone tools of various ilks.
I received, in the mail from France,
A chalcedony stone scraper
Which, with its pie-shaped 'sliver' and color,
Looked almost like the real thing!
Jessie, my helper, arrived to work,
Waiting for our planning chat.
I presented him with the cut 'pie piece'
On a plate accompanied with a fork.
He said, "Thank you', grabbed the fork
And 'cut' into the stone.
Of course, he realized it was a rock
And giggled with joy.
We all need more such experiences
To lighten our often mundane lives.

A Gaza-Israeli Progress Report opus 492

The last hospital in Gaza has been taken over and closed by Israeli troops.
Accusations claim that even the head doctor works with Hezbollah.
Will continued bombardments solve anything?--
Walls eventually stop no one and continual bombardments
Result in about the same--someone will always hold on in hiding.
True negotiations are desperately needed
And compromise of some sort must manifest--
Otherwise no 'progress' will ever see the light of day.
I wrote before, that 'an eye for 3000 eyes' is becoming questionable,
But now we must ask is 'an eye for 45,000 eyes' at all just?
Our violence is way outdoing, even our pugnacious relatives, the chimpanzee!

Human's Success on Planet Earth opus 500

Have humans been so successful because of greater strength or intelligence?
Probably not. However, humans seem to be able to imagine a myriad of possibilities
And inventively combine them in ever-increasing ways.
We continually push boundaries; the driving of cultural evolution.
Other species use tools, modify communication, and innovatively harvest food.
But these changes are fairly static, with no radical transformations.
Humans accumulate knowledge, but also reinvent and expand its delimitations.
Our openness allows quick adaptation with complex sequences,
To solve pending problems as well as future challenges.
Many creatures have an evolutionary ceiling; humans seem to have no limits.
Humans have transformed their environment--other animals merely adapt.
This transformation is bolstered by the cycle of cultural accumulation.
The enigma of human's world domination is understood,
By comprehending our ability to imagine, thus creating a boundless future.

(Was this one of the reasons the Neanderthal didn't make it?)

A Haggis Repast opus 507

I dozed off to the pending news of our redundant politicians;
Such continual anger against almost everything.

I longed for a change-- something to put in my mouth.
Oh, the last portion of my can of Scottish Haggis.
Chopped into smaller portions, special oil poured thereupon.
Heated to soften the Haggis and yield a bubbling oil.
One of my last four eggs, held for a special occasion--
Eggs--the last--from my young hens--
Dog-murdered beside my house.
Now almost imbibing the heated oil-soaked meat,
I left it on my tongue to taste my Scottish heritage--
Washed down gently with not Scotch, but Sake--
A cosmopolitan repast at midnight.

Human Holding Pens opus 508

More and more we judge cattle holding pens as repugnant.
At present, we are witnessing a massive, burning-LA.
If cattle should not be crowded, waiting for slaughter,
Why do we herd humans together in a fire-prone complex,
Ready for the slaughter of a way of life--
The one way of life many only know.

The Hunter-Gathers opus 520

In former days, our hunter-gatherer ancestors moved
At the 'whim' or general greater movement of the herds.
Sometimes it was feast and other times famine.
So the modern, unthinking person might thus conclude.
There is, still, a quiet factor which repeats history.
That factor is our surrounding virus and bacteria.
Contemplate the rise of heretofore virual outbreaks
And how we mobilize to cope with whatever.
Our 'herds' today are populations of pigs, cows, chickens, and bees.
When they die or must be hygienically slaughtered,
We, as in ancient times, must cope with diminishing food sources.
Unlike our ancestors, there are times when the change
Also affects us directly, needing medical aid.
We must not only mobilize to cope with reduced resources,
But must even protect ourselves from that which ravages our food source.
It seems that things are different, but really much the same.
So is the cycle of life--the 'hunter' and the 'hunted',
Ensuring that the flow of energy will necessarily continue to obtain.

It is Saturday opus 531

Hey! It is Saturday!
Which is just like Wednesday.
Which is just like Friday.
Which is just like Monday.
Which is just like Thursday.
Which is just like Tuesday
Which is just like Sunday.

There comes a time in life,
When an imaginary day of 'freedom'
Is no better than any of the rest.
Are you at that time in your life?
You will know when it arrives.

Creativity opus 537

Just what causes one to record a Thought or a Poem?
For me, there are several different stimuli that lead to a written page:
If I hear someone speaking about a certain subject
And wish to embellish it in a particular manner;
Or if a memory of a past experience pops into my head;
Possibly it might be stimulated by a foreboding of the future;
A particular sound or shape or color might lead to a written image;
Comparison of the present with the past, or a future event which might unfold;
Or possibly I wish to write something sad or joyful,
Manifesting reality or imagination;
Protest or anger about a situation may spark a creative impulse;
Of course it is always fun to write a short image about a person
And slip it to herm physically or auditorily to fulfill another's
passion or portrait.
The ultimate question remains--will anyone actually read it!

Flowers for Marty opus 538

My friend of many years, Marty, was chatting with a participant about me
At a Quail Ridge Reserve ceremony honoring my work in conservation.
Along the way, Marty was asked how he had originally met me,
Marty outlined a few interesting characteristics,
Explained where he had met me with one outstanding point--
I was the only male who, during all his life,
Had actually presented to him a large bundle of flowers!
(He didn't mention that I raised thousands of narcissus and daffodils
Which I sold in several Farmers Markets,
And also spontaneously handed them out to all sexes, as I chose!)
Now the secret is out.

A Source of Emotion. (A true tale.) opus 539

A father was informed that his son's car had struck a deer.
The father then drove to the son's side to give aid and comfort.
The car was damaged, but drivable.
The son was emotional and even in tears.
Upon calming down, father and son, then returned home.

With analysis, an interesting and in depth enquiry might now be asked.
Were the understandable flow of tears a result of
Self emotion? Compassion for a killed deer?
Or both of these sources of emotion, resulting in those tears?

Bundles of Flowers opus 543

An afternoon at the dentist's office.
Had promised four bundles of my narcissus or daffodils
To the lovely ladies at reception and at the 'chair'--
Liz, Chantobel, Olivia, and the top dog, Dr Dominessey.
But what now? A Monica had slipped in, so now five.
Led into the 'chair', tooth drilled, interesting chat.
Had no time to bundle from my bucket,
Until in the aftermath and the bill paid.
In the lobby, I commenced bundling--not four, now five.
Then a patient came by--a sweet older eastern Indian.
She admired the flowers--
Probably originally came from her part of the world.
So now it was six--I had just enough.
Usha--meaning 'sunset' received a spontaneous bundle--
So, still, I had enough for five more (like the loaves and fishes).
I walked out six bundles fewer, but a heart full of multiple bundles!

Dealing With Death opus 557

Death is a life phenomenon which all creatures face cognizantly or not.
Of course there are those that recognize this new state.
It is well known that elephants clearly react to death
By touching with their collective trunks, reaching out.
Even later encounters with the decomposed body
Elicit fondling the now cleaned bones.
Mother porpoises are known to 'carry' their deceased offspring
For many days or weeks; one female did so for up to 100 days.
Mother chimps and bonobos hold dead infants for days.
These two groups are known to touch, attempt play,
And gaze deeply into the eyes of a passed companion.
Humans deal culturally differently, but profoundly with their dead.
The Irish have wakes and Hispanics often gather in a parlour.
There is some good archeological evidence that Neanderthals
Had some sort of recognition of death.
From so long ago, it is often difficult to discern actual fact,
But revealed hyena and raven tarsals near an infant's disinterned body,
Or an isolated lithic near an adult's corpse,
Finding no other similar lithic at all nearby,
Indicate that there must have been some thought applied.
We will never know whether there was singing, or other vocalizations,
Or if possibly, even tears were shed for a downed comrad.
But judging from chimp and bonobo behavior around their dead,
And, of course, knowing our own feelings and behavior,
It is quite certain our kindred Neanderthal went through
Much the same agony and heartache.
Nearing that life stage, I myself, as many,
Premeditate my own demise with wonder and trepidation.

EPILOGUE {It is clear that as with most hominin groups,
Cannibalism is a practice sometimes evidenced among them.
Among Neanderthal butchered bones, tool cut marks are evidenced
On both remains of animals, as well as on their own kind.
There is much contemplation as to reasons for this.
Dealing with their trauma might have included the depositing of bodies,
Taking them apart and reconstituting the raw components
Back to life with consumption, bones used as tools, or by marking them.
Cut marks on the face and skull may indicate the recognition of another.
Was the common practice of taking apart hunted carcasses,
Transposed into a grieving process involving familiar butchery,
Including cannibalism, as acts of intimacy and not violation?
Catholics in Western society have special relics for viewing,
And even more, in Eucharist, bread and wine are
Consumed as the body of Jesus, inside the mouths of the faithful!
They say this is not about death, but life.
Perhaps this was also true for Neanderthals.}

Marrow opus 558

As a child, I often chewed on a chicken bone to remove the marrow.
I was not aware at the time, but I was following
The masticating practices of the Neanderthals
(And those of my own early species).
There is ample evidence that the many smashed bones
Of both animal and, in certain localities, of Neanderthal,
Were a desired part of the consumption of the bodies.
Marrow has a distinct texture and taste
And was, then, specially desired nutritionally
And perhaps sometimes ritualistically.
Learning this now, gives me a closer feeling for and understanding
Of my very unique hominin ancestry
And, unknowingly, as a child I uninstructedly and instinctively,
Mimicked my very ancient forebears in one of their regular practices.

Tariffs on Chicken Feet?? opus 560

At present, we are diving up and down economically,
As a result of the singular thinking of our second-time repeat leader.
Our farmers depend on a world trade which maintains stability.
Meddling too much in that agricultural trade-stability
Results in unstable pricing and loss of markets to other countries.
Well, ok, but how do chicken feet fit in to all this chaos?
Tariffs on chicken meat are clearly understood,
But with this meat are feet--attached thereto!
One country only, which consumes and adores these is China.
Even in our own country, chicken feet are slipped in via their restaurants.
Ironic, that our chief tariff competitor is China,
The very major consumer and importer of our chicken feet!

Playing Chess with Tariffs opus 563

Well, at this moment, we have tariffs flying in and out--
A frantic display of minimal planning wielded by outrageous power.
In the latest round (4th?). electronics are spared the tariff-tax,
While our farmers and their products are left in the fray.
Interesting that our leaders spare electronics,
While leaving farm products and food on the shelf (or not)
To languish for our population--
Are we really able to ingest electronics?
Our addiction to the latter, may starve us with neglect of the farmers!

On Ornaments and Clothing, with Easter in Mind opus 568

Humans (Homo sapiens) are a naked ape with a flattened face.
This is the result of neoteny, an adult form, maintaining juvenile characters.
Humans have no natural pigments as with Mandrills.
We know that Neanderthals utilized some forms of decoration,
But humans have gone all out for bodily adornment--
Painted faces, use of feathers, jewelry, and regal robes.
It is Easter today, and outstanding clothing, including garish hats,
Are in great prominence during this one day of holiday time.
As one commentator stated, "To catch the eye of god" (and man and woman).
Human bodily decoration, be it jewels or cloth, are always prominent.
The garment industry makes millions and causes great waste,
As our decorations go out of fashion. Many garments just go to the dump.
One example is the killing of egrets for their plumes--
Almost to the complete decimation of that species.
(That is one reason why the Audubon Society was created, by women,
In order to raise awareness and create laws to save birds.)
We, as a 'decorating species', must now consider:
Fewer changes of clothing, purchasing good used garments,
Not always following mindless trends, and recycling clothing responsibility.
Read Thoreau's 'On Walden' focusing on 'On Clothing'.
I say no more.

How Might a Hindu Take the Story of Easter? opus 569

I sort of pulled this out of a hat, randomly contemplating the subject.
I actually found sites which answered my question precisely!
Some sites went into great detail about the transformation of Jesus' body,
While others posed the almost impossibility of reaching eternal life--
Compared to Christianity--a somewhat biased account,
Through multiple reincarnations in the caste system.
The article I am citing stays on the positive side,
Not dragging in the negatives, looking at the positive similarities.
Do read this and ponder further on the subject:
'Exploring the Intersections of Easter and Hinduism--Celebrating Unity in Diversity'.
If you are religious or a Humanist as I am,
You will see nice, positive overlaps, for what it is.
Enjoy.

22 April 2025--Earth Day opus 570

Pope Francis died on the morning of 21 April,
Just after Easter and the day before Earth Day.
He was a leader who completely understood
The slow, steady change and demise of our world
In relation to human, animal, and plant life as well as
To those who can no longer conduct profitable farming,
Nor to those who are potential refugees of violence and armed entities.

The pope will be buried in a simple wooden coffin,
Among others who were the poor of Rome, Italy.
Now the question is, who will be chosen for that next leader?
In addition, it would be nice if more unified attention would be given
To the contributions of the Dalai Lama and leaders
Of the Jewish, Muslim, and other major religions.
The dominance of the magnificence of the papacy
Must be juxtaposed with the theology of other religious leaders.
That would be to the good of our diverse populations.

(Note: Today, 25 May 2025, we may have just that,
Partly by means of a new American pope,
Who seems to be already including many others.)

My Pictish Beast Tattoo opus 577

Among other peoples, I am a Pict--
The tattooed or painted ones of Scotland.
I first saw the petroglyph, 'Craw Sten' of Rhynie
Several decades ago atop its hill--
Angled salmon above and Pictish Beast beneath,
On a standing stone two meters high.
I have utilized the image of this Beast
As a logo on all my literature.
Now, after 10 or more years of pondering,
I am ready to endure a baptismal tattoo
On my own left forearm.
I shall be kilted, with a hippo tusk lying nearby,
Accompanied by a bunched cluster of ancient mammoth hair.
There shall be a Swiss cow bell, as part of my past.
I shall add ancestral Erectus and Neanderthal stone tools,
Formerly used to skin said mammoths.
An attending Turk there, shall represent the Fertile Crescent;
A South African shall represent our African human origins;
And Drew, the artist, returned from 39 years abroad
Will represent my own sojourn in Sweden.
We shall be conversing in Swedish and Turkish and English.
After one half hour, I shall be marked for the remainder of my life.
Just as the new pope was recently inaugurated into the church,
So shall I finally be enfolded into my Pictish fellowship.

This poem shall be read before commencing with the marking (21 May 2025).

Memorial Day, 26 May 2025 opus 578

First, Decoration Day, commencing just after the Civil War,
Later, became Memorial Day to remember the fallen in all wars.
Unfolding are heroic stories, related by those who accomplished and survived;
But, as well, there are many stories of suffering and death.
On this day, we should also remember those relatively few
Who have striven and strive now to stop war as a means to solve differences.
There must come a time when resolving problems with violence
Will be unheard of and never chosen as a solution.

The Vicarious Conductor opus 580

Often, when musical sounds come within my ear,
I raise my hands in a conducting mode
And lead that imaginary musical group.
It brings me back to my period in music,
When I conducted an actual and real group of musicians,
Fully revelling in my heart, guiding such musical geniuses.

Is There Really a Singular 'THEY'? opus 586

'THEY'--the third person plural--is just that--plural.
But, know, that 'THEY' has struggled a vicarious existence.
Even you have most likely utilized the singular 'THEY'.
'EveryONE should put on THEIR life jackets now!'
'EACH student loves the time when THEY are free at recess.'
It is a 'borrowed' genderless pronoun, designating anyone.
Using 'HE or SHE' seems really awkward, not falling off the tongue.
Creating and using 'EX or HEESH'--clever, but will never catch on.

And now we have just added a new complication--
'THEY' as a personal pronoun! The 'new THEY'. (More on that to come.)
Many do not wish to use 'HE or SHE', 'HIM or HER'.
Being linguistically able, I could carefully use the 'new THEY',
But I even have trouble turning off the car radio,
Until that last bit of a classical music piece has concluded!

'We-Other' opus 587

Old, later English used to commonly use
The first person plural in an awkward, 'We-Other' or variations thereof
It included 'me' or 'I' and 'all the rest' or 'the others'.
English has pruned that away to just using 'we'.
But--there is a language which still utilizes the old form!
Guess which one? The very much used Spanish!
'We' in Spanish is 'Nosotros'.
Ok, dissect it; 'Nos' = 'We' and 'Otros' = other.
Wow, just always under our noses!
When I broach this complete history with Spanish speakers,
They are astonished that they had never contemplated its meaning.

And Then There is the 'New They'! opus 589

There are certain individuals today, who wish to be referred to as 'They'.
Linguists nominate this phenomenon as the 'New They'.
The 'old fashioned', 'normal, plural They', utilizes no '-s' with the verb--
They walk, They see clearly, They eat pizza relishly.
'He', 'She', and 'It' have an '-s' with the verb--
He listenS, She singS, It appearS suddenly.
So, as to not confuse a 'plural They' (They sing),
With the 'singular They', it has been proposed
That the 'singular They' should have an '-s' suffix with the verb:
Plural: They walk quickly; Singular: They walkS quickly.
This would clarify the understanding of who is doing what,
As well as to make it easier for those to verbalize correctly.

Ms for Mrs took off; why not a little '-s' added to a 'singular They' verb?

What is Yourn is 'Meen' or What is Yours is Mine opus 590

Mine, by the way, used to be pronounced 'Meen'.
'Meen' used to be 'Mee book' and also before a vowel: 'Meen' apple.

Here is the pattern of today's possessive pronouns:
mine
ours
yours
yours
his,hers,its
theirs
So why is mine not 'mys'?
The Middle English possessive pattern, ended in an 'n':
mine
ourn
thine
yourn
his,hern
theirn
Moreover, Thine (possessive) could have been Thouse,
But actually matched Mine.
Speakers of the time, perhaps from sound or pattern, simply used Thine.
Also 'his' was the odd one out, which could have been 'hin'.
'Bruce's hope' was being utilized, but why not 'hin hope'?
However, the final 's' on 'his' began being used
With the other possessive pronouns--just feeling 'normal' to do so.
People with their language hold onto oddities out of habit,
But also, linguistically, seek pattern.
Language is a never-ending process of transformation--
Formerly, the nominative, 'Thou' was the singular,
'Inc' addressed two persons, and for more than two, 'Ye' was spoken.
Historically, further back, there was most probably,
'I, me', and 'that' for he and she, and 'those' for they!
What sounded normal to one, was eventually odd and 'wrong' by another.

Does Banning Things Ever Succeed? opus 591

Just recently, the Taliban of Afghanistan
Have begun to ban the ancient game of Chess.
This revered 'sport' has been pegged as a form of betting.

As authoritative power creeps into our democracy,
Are we witnessing the banning of the ancient 'game' of sex,
Similar, of that occurring in Afghanistan?
Namely, in spite of decades of research,
We now hear the proclamation that there are only two sexes!
All others of the 57 sexual orientations just do not exist--
A true limitation of that variation of this ancient 'game'.

'Number Five' opus 623

Rowan, my grandson, is now 'number five'--
His fifth birthday was 6 August.
He called me while driving with Pierre, his father.
His school is out and he was going
To his other grandparents for the day.
He was so excited to now be five.
I wonder if I might talk with him when he is twenty five?
Or I muse if I might last until he is fifteen.
When he comes to visit for my birthday, I have ready
A lovely green malachite piece of copper-based stone,
A shimmering 'artificial' lump of crystals,
A shiny silver Kennedy 50 cent coin, along with a trilobite,
And a miniature of an Emperor Penguin in color.
Plus a lovely children's book for his Dad or Mom to read to him.
Happy Birthday, Rowan.

Myself Or Me? opus 627

When they see MYSELF (ME!) cooking, they are impressed.
I can cook anything MYSELF (ME - No, No, No!), in spite of them.
People are, more often, using 'myself' totally incorrecty.
'ME' is a plain old object in a sentence,
While 'myself' reflects back to an ability or an accomplishment;
It is used reflexively (no object), for emphasis, or in absolute constructions.
Eg: I hurt myself; I myself did it; Myself busy, I sent him instead.
So, let's try to get this correct--
I am sure YOU (object) can learn this YOURSELF (reflexive)!
I know language changes, but, please, this misuse is too much.

It's All in Your Mind opus 639

Our foods have, for centuries, been brightened with dyes--
Cheeses made more yellow, margarine dyed to better compete with butter.
Alternatively, many are truly concerned about artificially brightening our food.
Caving to pressure, General Mills stopped dying Fruit Loops,
But soon relented back to dyes, resulting from a barrage of complaints.
Humans, and especially we 'Americans', must just ingest colorful food,
Claiming with no actual proof, that colorful food just 'plain tastes better'!
This is another example where things might all just 'be in your mind'.

Another View of Death opus 642

A man was walking in a field with his daughter.
The two came upon the carcass of a mouse.
The father, seeing this as an opportunity to discuss death,
Begins to talk with his daughter.
The young child notices the masses of ants covering the mouse body.
The father realizes that the subject must now include decomposition,
And gently urges the girl to come away.
Walking a 'ways from the body, the girl turns back to the mouse.
She continues to watch the ants moving over and in the corps,
And turns to her father, "Look how these ants love this mouse!"
The yet untutored mind of a child, 
Often yields an unexpected, creative conclusion.

(This account reminds me of the two previous observations I made
about Rowan (g-son) and the opossum body found in our field.)

A Ten Minute 'Peek' at a Kabuki Theatre Evolved into Three Hours! opus 651

About 1977, I was travelling home from Sweden,
Heading east from Europe towards California.
One of my 13 stops was in Japan, specifically Kyoto.
Wandering the streets, I came across a Kabuki Theatre.
I went in, found a seat in the back, on an aisle,
And settled in for whatever was to come.
A short performance commenced for about 10 minutes,
When suddenly, mainly--'foreign-looking' tourists
Got up and left (a tour).
I was not at all ready to leave and remained seated.
Then the real show began with all its dramatics!
As I sat, enthralled, a Japanese person came to me,
And handed, in English, a synopsis of each proceeding play.
How thoughtful and helpful in understanding
This wonderful type of theatre.
I remained for three hours, leaving with the locals,
Who had with them, by-the-way,
Bag lunches to enjoy during the performance.
I was so completely glad that I remained
Able to enjoy myself with those locals!
The art of Kabuki remains with me until today.

Why do Female Mammals Live Longer than Males? opus 656

It is well known that women usually live longer than men.
But more than that, female mammals in general also do so.
The answer lies in deeply rooted evolutionary history.
Research has revealed that in mammals, 72% of females
Live on average 13% longer that males,
While studies on birds show the opposite;
That 68% of male birds outlive females by about 5 %.
Mammalian males are the heterogametic sex,
Having an X and Y chromosome,
While females have two X chromosomes,
Making females more protected from lethal mutations
And thus a survival advantage.
In birds the female is the heterogametic sex
And thus the male lives longer.
However, there are exceptions such as with birds of prey.
Females are larger and longer-lived than males,
Rendering chromosomes as only one factor.
Following from the facts above, polygamous,
Competing male mammals generally die earlier as well.
Monogamous male birds with lower competitive pressure
Often live longer.
Parental care by female mammals, raising young, tend to live longer.
Long-lived species such as primates see the female living longer.
These are adaptive for survival of those species.
Should male humans start thinking about marrying older women?
This would even out the widows who sit alone--unless they wish to!

To Hold on for Nine Years opus 714

Every holiday she strung lights throughout a room of our home.
Her last season for lights was November 2016.
She died soon thereafter--I left the lights on all that year.
Each year thereafter, the lights remained on in remembrance.
One November, almost to the day, nine years later, 
The lights dimmed to darkness.
The nights now are as deceased as the decorator herself. 

Invaders!? opus 715

Today, 24 December 2025, after decades 
Of having bird feeders on my farm,
Two male House Sparrows came, for the first time, 
To feed with my other native sparrows.
As a biologist, so many thoughts and emotions went through me--
Non-native introductions, non-native competition,
Which ravage our state (and the world).
The ever-changing world through a biologist's eyes;
Visions of a hundred years from today and its then, reality.
New dynamics are ever-looming, most out of my control.

The Good Book--Genesis opus 723

Most of us know the Biblical Genesis story.
Of course, there is a supernatural creator involved,
As would be expected in any religious writing.
I have been studying the Humanist approach to the 'creation'.
A volume was laboriously written with this approach in mind.
It is compiled by A.C. Grayling, a British scholar,
Called simply, The Good Book.
It follows the Biblical format, but from a Humanist point of view.


The 'Books' include:  Genesis, Wisdom, Parables, Concord,
Lamentations, Consolations, Sages, Songs, Histories,
Proverbs, The Lawgiver, Acts, Epistles, and The Good.

Genesis.           Chapter I.

1.  In the garden stands a tree,  In springtime
     it bears flowers; in the autumn, fruit.
2.  In fruit is knowledge, teaching the good gardner
     how to understand the world.
3.  From it he learns how the tree grows
     from seed to sapling, from sapling to maturity
     at last ready to offer more life.
4.  And from maturity to age and sleep,
     whence it returns to the elements of things.
5.  The elements in turn feed new births;
     such is nature's method, and its parallel
     with the course of humankind..

Such is the Humanist approach to life and the world.
Do explore.  You shall be rewarded to a new dimension.
I shall be exploring more from this book occasionally.

The Rearranged Tearoom opus 724

As a child, my father frustratingly delayed buying a TV.
I had to go to Woody Kaplin's house to watch Howdy Doody!
It didn't occur to me at such a young age,
How 'organizing' TV was, once in one's life.
This became absolutely clear when I started working in Turkiye.
I often, after teaching, would frequent a tearoom to socialize.
There was no TV in Turkiye when I taught there in 1969.
All the tables and chairs were arranged randomly, as one would expect.
Actually, I never really even contemplated such arrangements.
I completed my teaching job there and moved on.
Many years later, about 2000, my old boss and his wife
Invited me and Nora, my wife, for a Turkish reunion.
We arrived and thoroughly enjoyed visiting old friends and haunts.
One mid-day we went to see a then quiet, old, familiar tearoom.
When I entered, I felt immediately something was strange--even wrong.
All the chairs around the tables were facing one way!
My gaze went in the direction of the chairs and one wall.
What was there, but a television set, sitting quietly on a shelf.
This was new for me in this country and a bit of a shock.
I could feel the loss of visitation, conversation, and gaming,
Feeling the starkness and dominance of this machine.
Coming from 'another world', I could understand,
But was saddened by what I knew was a loss of innocence.
All these devices are taking over the time and minds 
Of both our children and adults.

The Reverent Omnivore opus 735

I eat meat.  I like the taste of meat.
I have also butchered other creatures to eat meat.
So, I am, more than most, deeply involved.
Many arguments one way or the other.
(Humans have omnivorous dentition matching pigs and bears}, 
What could ever be the correct way?
I am now at the level where I contemplate
The pain or agony my food source experiences at harvest.
This helps, but I still like meat, at least in a measured way.
Turning to entomophagy, is my 'pain', less, consuming insects?
Upon purchase, one places the bagged stash in the freezer
To slowly pass into eternity from lack of warmth.
Life, no matter how one philosophizes,
Just plain needs energy to survive--
Vegetables exclusively?  The caveman diet of meat and fat?
Perhaps a solution is the 'Reverent Omnivore' way out.
Have that similar passion you feel, 
Also for the carrot ripped from the earth.
As well as the Kosher-blessed, properly butchered cow,
Bled correctly in the presence of a holyman! 

Rationalizations opus 737

I was to have seen my grandson, Rowan, today,
But, his father, having a cold, thought it best to delay.
Disappointed, I began a series of rationalizations:
I was really too tired to cope with a five-year-old;
The predicted sunny day became cloudy and cold;
I needed to have time now to finish my writing;
I had no adequate snacks for the sharing;
He really wasn't ready for that scooter I had ready for him;
The house was disorganized and not ready for his explorations;
I was relieved not to catch his father's cold;
So many thoughts to make me feel better.
It was all for naught.  
I just plain missed him this planned-for day.

Valentine's Day, 2026 opus 760

Is Valentine's Day about a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers?
Do we really know the horror behind this 'holiday', 
As we send adoration to our loved ones?
This day is a mix of Roman rituals,
Christian martyrdom, and medieval poetry.
The roots of this holiday trace back to Lupercalia,
A pagan fertility festival held in February in ancient Rome.
Roman priests would sacrifice a goat and a dog for purification.
The goat hide was stripped into thongs, then dipped in blood,
And women would be slapped with them, making them 'more fertile'.
Young women would also place their names in an urn,
Pairing them with bachelors during the festival, perhaps leading to marriage.

As the Romans often did, Pope Gelasius 
Replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine's Day.
One of the first stories recounts a 3rd-century Roman priest,
Who secretly performed marriages for celibate soldiers, until his execution.
Another claims Valentine fell in love with his jailer's daughter,
And allegedly wrote her a letter signed, "From your Valentine."
Chaucer romantically wrote in 1382 about birds choosing mates on that day.
In 1415 Charles, Duke of Orleans, imprisoned in the Tower of London,
Wrote his wife the earliest known valentine poem on that day.

Now, thanks to Esther A. Howland in the 1840s in America,
Mass-produced cards, adorned with lace and ribbons, were for sale.
In 1913 Hallmark Cards began mass-producing cards,
Declaring a 'Hallmark holiday'.
Followed only by the number of shared Christmas cards,
Billions of cards, chocolates and flowers are sent out
To our history-ignorant lovers on this misunderstood 'holiday'.