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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Geography

Dear Mr. Garamendi. US Representative. (Letter) opus 30

To start, I admire your work. I am now 81 and have lived on my farm on County Road 95, Davis, since 1978. I have raised vegetables and flowers for local farmers markets, catfish for restaurants, some of the first ground-raised chickens (for Chez Panisse Restaurant), turkeys and ducks, and conducted educational tours for school groups. I am the founder (along with my late wife, Prof. Lenora Timm) of the 2000 acre Quail Ridge Reserve, part of the Natural Reserve System of the UC system and, specifically UC Davis. I wrote the legislation for our State Grass (Stipa pulchra) used by 4th graders in their study of California history and California's state symbols.

I have also lived and taught 5 years in Turkey (Robert College), 4 years in Lesotho, Africa (University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland) and conducted research for one year at the University in Uppsala, Sweden.

I have always been concerned about the difficult weather problems of the islands off of Florida. Now it is Puerto Rico, in the limelight once again. The storms are constantly destroying the infrastructure of the island at great cost along with the human and animal loss of life.

I would like to propose a program to improve this terrible situation:

1. Encourage willing people to be resettled (where and when to be decided) with compensation.

2. Those who remain, would start to reclaim and restore native habitat and be compensated for their work.

The ultimate goal is to create an island with native plants and animals which would develop into ecotours, education, and research (the benefits of which would be socially shared). In addition, there would be areas for standard tourism, recreation and sports. This would create jobs as well. Structures would be built to withstand storms and flooding (at least for some period of time). Of course by 2100, much of the island may be submerged because of the ever-ominous climate change.

This project would save millions of dollars and lives and would create a more stable state; if Puerto Rico follows the path of statehood: "Puerto Rico, the Environmental State"! This might at first appear as an impossible task, but upon contemplation and some planning, it may be a winning choice.

I urge you to consider this as a viable plan, realizing the implications of our changing planet and what will occur. The forced movement of human populations is inevitable and is already occurring in many parts of the world, including our own country.

Most sincerely,
Frank W Maurer, Jr.

(Please read: NOMAD CENTURY How climate migration will reshape our world, by Gaia Vince.

To Ingegerd opus 100

How often Sweden pulses through my mind--
Both genetically and experientially.
The plunder, but wisdom and ability
Of those who founded the government of Rusland.
(The Land of the Redheads!)
And trade routes from the North to the land of Egypt.

Perhaps a small amount of what I consider my wisdom
May have come from those forebears. . . .
But of course there is always mixed in,
My Celtic, Armenian, and the clever others
Who formed my phylogeny,
Passing on to me (among others)
My haplogroup g on the Y chromosome,
Manifested now in my ontogeny!

I do miss you, dear Swede.

F.

Water Levels--Rising and Falling! opus 178

It is now self-evident that our seas are rising,
Causing potential crises throughout the world.
Conversely, a critical trade route now faces impending danger,
The watermark of which is facing an ever-diminishing level ;
It is the almost vital drought stricken Panama Canal,
Requiring masses of water each day from its supplementing lake,
To service the perpetually rising and falling lock system.
Smaller ships are now recruited back into service,
As well as the need for the lightening of larger ships,
By transporting less cargo with decreased remuneration per voyage.

The daily 'prayer' with consequent action must be--
Oh, Lord, relieve us of our present fuel system,
To increase the more benevolent sun and wind!

Darian vs Darien / Any Connections? opus 198

I have always admired the name Darian.
When I meet someone named such,
I often ask if they understand its history or its meaning.
My Scottish ancestry, back to MacAlpin,
One of the first kings of that land (843 AD),
Reminds me of the Scottish attempt at a trading company (1697),
To emulate the English Hudson's Bay Trading Company.
Two attempts were made to establish their company
In Darien, now on the border of Panama and Colombia.
The name was Hispanicized from the Tanela River,
Called such by the Cueva people, an indigenous tribe
Destroyed by the conquistadors during the 16th century.
As a result of the hardships of the area, the unfriendly natives,
And mostly the Spanish, who controlled the area,
The whole experiment failed,
Along with the loss of a third of the Scottish GNP.

Today we hear of the migrants from the southern areas,
Walking north and confronting the Darien Gap,
A 66 mile wilderness swamp and forest,
Through which there is no Pacific Highway,
Only trails and purposely left open as a valuable wildlife sanctuary.
Many travellers have died, attempting to cross this challenging territory.
So, history repeats itself with the Darien area,
Blocking the Scottish attempt at colonization
And now the northern-bound migrants.

But what of the name Darian? Used by the English,
And perhaps first used by the Persians (and Iranians),
Meaning 'Upholder of the Good'--also 'Wealthy' and/or 'Kingly',
Continuing, the present name, Darian, is now seldom used,
And those I question, rarely know its derivation.
But from the early Persian times, to 1697,
To today's migrants traversing the challenging Gap,
It has shown itself throughout history with several manifestations.
Also, one must wonder if there is possibly
A more ancient linguistic connection!

Must There Always be Perpetual War? opus 236

I was born in 1941 and was old enough
To comprehend the meaning in 1945,
As to why the neighbor children were banging pots with joy!
Then came the Korean War, I listening to PBS at 12,
And the horrible situation which eventually divided Korea.
Once again later, another conflict in Vietnam
To block a possible 'domino effect',
Resulting yet again, in a divided nation.
So many further wars throughout Africa,
Where I taught for many years.
Now we witness the basic genocide
By the Russians and Israelis,
Pulverizing their hapless opponents,
Completely outnumbered and outgunned.
One claims historic ownership, voicing the desire
To reunite the old Union,
The other claims revenge, even though they originally invaded,
Reclaiming land, historically, after a 2000 year hiatus.

Is there no way we all can just view, from a spatial distance,
And realize how very unique our planet actually is--
From space we see no borders, nor politics, nor religions?
We must somehow, sometime soon, learn how to live together
As one species, ensuring life also for our fellow creatures
And not be divided by our cultural foibles and impediments.

To Paul, Who Would Understand opus 262

Horses arose in North America,
Increased in size, and migrated westward.
Presently, a 'new' invasion of a present
'Modern', larger form has obtained,
Replenishing the space of their progenitors

Similarly, the Khoisan arose in Southern Africa
And were partially replaced,
Not only by the Bantu group,
But by the invading 'caucasian',
Repopulating many spaces
Of their original African progenitors.

The World's Panama Canal opus 283

The Panama Canal, like the Suez Canal,
Is critical for economizing world shipping,
Resulting from the hard-won excavation of miles of terrain.
Today, though, with so many actual and pending earth changes,
Drought is challenging the Canal's water levels,
Reducing the daily number and size of ships passing through.
Unknown to many, the Canal's water is not sea-, but fresh--
There are several springs in the local lakes providing such
And these water bodies are manifesting lowering levels.
These lakes also provide water
For several million inhabitants of Panama.
Once again, as will occur multiple times over,
Water for agriculture vs the cities
And at the Canal, water for transport vs the same,
Will be in constant competition to provide the growing demands
For food production, transport, and the ever increasing humankind.

A Twenty-first Century Human Dilemma opus 291

For good or evil / better or worse, Israel was created by force,
Aided by Britain, the United States of America, and the UN.
We all know the reasons why this act was performed.
We (the USA), especially, pledged to be a steadfast ally at all cost.
We have also weekly, financially supported this new country,
Which also is, of course, a legitimate sovereign nation.

Today, our octogenarian president, having lived during
That pioneer period and well aware of our former pacts,
Strongly stood by Israel, because of our original treaty and promises.
But the world has changed and by oblitering so many Gazan civilians,
While defending itself against the aggressing political organization,
It has created an enigma as to the best approach to warfare.
By backing Israel's blitz, Biden has been condemned
Because of 'backing' so many deaths.
How to rectify this nightmarish situation will be temporarily solved,
But the only final and needed conclusion is a Two State Solution,
Where the Palestinian people will at last, once again, govern themselves.

My only futuristic thought is, would it be best
To exchange territory so that the Nation of Palestine
Will control a single area, creating a more manageable nation-state?
Causing a great catastrophe, Pakistan was carved
Out of the Indian territory, both east and west portions.

Of course, other such human 'experiments' were artificially formed
To appease religious, historical, ethnic, or political tensions.
The planet is basically 'neutral': the complication and conflict
Are its human overlords!

The New Palestinian Nation--A Proposal opus 309

Is it a good idea--wise--to create a new Palestinian Nation,
Divided between two territories--Gaza and the West Bank?
I am suggesting that the two areas be combined to one,
Total acreage would be the same, but a question--
To which general area would the combined Nation be established?
My thought, without profound research, is possibly that
The West Bank area should be 'transferred' to Gaza
So that Palestine would border Egypt, having a substantial seacoast.
This would cause a great uprooting of the established Israeli population,
But Israel did cause the centuries-old uprooting of the Palestinian people in '48.
This would establish a strong nation, having a connection with the world.
One way or another, this potential challenge could be faced.
So much was formerly taken from the Palestians
And if the Jews could have carved out a new Israel-Nation,
The Palestinians might be given the equivalent for THEIR new nation.

Any Compensation for Palestinian Lands? opus 356

Much before the creation of Israel in 1948,
Palestine endured great turmoil
With continual internal harassment,
From those anticipating, at last, a Jewish State--
Even to the point of poisoning drinking wells
To remove both human and animal from their homes.
The oppressed side calls it Nakba which it seems
Will never be forgotten, thus perpetuating
The present great unrest.

Perhaps if established today, in the light of justice,
Might there not be from the start,
A logically created two state solution--
Each side maintaining its national dignity and pride?
How simple and straightforward a conclusion
For the equality and autonomy of both--
And how, so much strife might thus be avoided,
Both in Palestine and for the concerned world at large.

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?

If Only, If Only opus 532

Slowly, painfully, the Israeli hostages are being returned.
So joyfully those few lucky ones are greeted and hugged.
So cruelly taken and held by those 'others'.
But wait and ponder how those 'others'
Have been held since 1948 in an open air prison.
Human emotion and anger and despair can only be controlled for so long.
If only, if only, everyone, forming the new Israeli State, in 1948,
Had considered both sides, creating equal territories for each people--
Sovereign, equivalent, nation states.
If so, there might have been no hostages,
No hate, no revenge, and perhaps,
Equal trading partners and equal neighboring States.
They would have been living juxtaposed in peace.
Will those in power now finally realize, this is the only long-term solution?

Benjamin Franklin and Canada as the 14th Colony opus 548

Franklin and Washington felt it was inevitable
That the thinly populated British possessions
To the north, would eventually join the future US.
Before the Declaration of Independence was signed,
Two colonists, Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold,
Came very close to convincing Canada to join.
After Yorktown, Washington wanted to make another attempt.
With a well equipped army, and the French allies,
He wish to capture Quebec and drive the British out of Canada.
Now, with more detail, John Allen, a Nova Scotia politician,
Wrote Washington that his crown colony may join the 13 Colonies--
About three-quarters of that then population of 20,000 were New Englanders!
However, as a result of several difficult historical incidents,
Nova Scotia, nor Quebec were included in the new US.

The Metric Conversion Act opus 720

I arrived to live near Davis, California, in 1979.
I shall always remember the State sign on I-80.
The sign indicated the distance to Sacramento and the East Coast,
But not in a usual manner--there were two systems used!
One was the normal 'mileage', the other, the metric.
What was going on?  Metric in the US?  Yes indeed.
The US was the last country to attempt to go metric. 
In the 1970's, President Ford put forward the Metric Conversion Act.
This was an attempt to at last convert this country to the metric system.
Of the many entities needing conversion, road 'mileage' signs were one.
This, as we know, did not succeed.
However, to match the rest of the metric world,
Much of our food and drink, automobile and aircraft dimensions,
And our medications are also measured  metrically.
But our children are stuck with the British System.
How many feet in a mile?  (5280).  How many meters in a kilometer?  (1000).
How many inches in a yard?  (36).  How many centimeters in a meter?  (100).
I won't even ask how many feet in a rod?  (16.5 feet or 5.5 yards)!
Ok, a Chain is 66 feet or 22 yards.  Ten Chains in a Furlong!
Oh, and there are 100 Links in a Chain.  (0.66 feet or 7.877892 inches equals one Link).
Do you see my point?  The metric system is built on base 10.
For a child to thoroughly (which they don't) learn the British System,
It takes about three years of school time to perhaps learn this system.
Can you imagine how many other important things could be learned instead?
The metric system uses basic names (centi, milli, deci, kilo)--no Furlongs!
And conversions are accomplished by merely moving a decimal point!
Need I say more, considering the precious learning time available?
We, as a people, are absolutely stuck in our ways.
(Just as our British cousins were for so long!) 

The Human Urge to Move opus 754

Humans have always been migrants.
Review the human emigration from Africa,
Following migrations throughout the remaining world.
It appears that a portion of the human genome,
Fires the human mind to start moving and exploring.
This successful species-population-movement
Has been adaptive for exploiting new ranges,
While reducing intraspecific competition.

The world is now basically exploited, so is there evidence
That humans still have this insatiable drive?
Of course there is tourism, but what about the 'Marco Polos'?
Consider bicyclists who bike for months or years at a time,
Relying on a small, simple, self-powered (by a human) device.
The challenge is invigorating, difficult, and empowering.

Samer Abouhamed (2026) biked 46,000 miles across six continents;
Liam Gorner (2023), age 17, rode over 20,000 miles from 
Alaska to Argentina in two years;
Also Lael Wilcox holds a 2008 speed record;
And Thomas Stevens (1884), the first person
To ride a bicycle around the world,
Leaving San Francisco on a precarious 'high-wheeler'.

The challenge for new worldly territory, one way or another,
Will probably always be in the human spirit and genome!
Of course, I have said nothing concerning space travel.