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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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History

Cuisine and Shame opus 37

Do you know that, strangely now,
Early Atlantic slaves were fed the then, undesirable lobster?
Now, so desired as a special, tasty food,
Captured by the millions--such a profusion of buoys,
Attached to a jungle of lines and traps;
So many, that the entangled Right Whale's survival
Hangs in the balance of a tipping scale
Between wanted cuisine on the one hand and the shame of
Needlessly destroying yet another fellow species on the other.

Our Second Amendment opus 46

"A WELL-REGULATED MILITIA, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Now we interpret an 18th century document
To fit our 20 and 21st century desires.
Do we adhere to the Collective Rights Theory,
Or cling to the Individual Rights of our egotistic culture?
Was this written to protect the State or the Nation,
Or to be used to wantonly murder fellow citizens?
"We" have made one choice through Supreme Court decisions,
When the larger population favors another.

"Things smell rotten in the State of Denmark."
Where are we now, and where on earth will we ever go?

Robert Burns, the Day after His Birthday opus 83

Robert Burns, the great Scottish Poet.
His birthday was yesterday and I almost forgot--25 January 1759.
So sad, I would momentarily forget a fellow Scot.
But what a rush, when I suddenly recalled.
Of course he wrote beautiful love poems.
Such as 'My Luve is like a Red Red Rose;
But do you realize he wrote an ode to George Washington?
This, of course, was during the British/American Revolution!
('Could have been in great trouble.)
He also wrote another, praising the French Revolution!
('Again, potential trouble.)
Of course, there's too, the ode To a Mouse and Address to the Haggis.

Goodness, how could I have ever forgot--even for a moment--
Such an important, creative and vital poet?

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.

Two Declarations for Freedom opus 174

As most of us are aware, T. Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
But from where did he ferret out his material?
He used several old documents, including the Magna Carta
and the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath of 1320.
The latter was an attempt by the Scots to demonstrate to Pope John XXII of France
That Scotland was a 'pedigreed' nation, wishing to be free of the English yoke.
(B. Franklin gently chided Jefferson as to, 'Why he used so many old documents?'.
Jefferson replied, 'Well they worked, didn't they?'.)

One can peruse the two documents, side by side, and compare a logical sequence.
There is a point of conflict and need for protection in both:
'He (George III of Britain) has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us,
And has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers,
The merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of Warfare,
Is an undistinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.'

A bit more distant, but still with the same sort of conflict in mind,
The Scots are bargaining with the Pope for recognition,
By volunteering for a next Crusade against the Muslims (ie., the heathens).
Both documents declare the need for quelling heathens or savages for various reasons :
'This truly concerns you, Holy Father, since you see the savagery of the heathen raging
Against the Christians,. . . and the frontiers of Christendom being pressed inward every day.'

In today's world one sees anti-Muslim retoric in the one, and anti-Native American in the other.
Today, both statements are 'uncomfortable' in a world attempting tolerance,
But in the reality of those past times, when things were more 'black and white',
Statements were bold and crisp and 'self-evident'!

(Do remember, though, Roger Williams' friendship with the native people,
And the eventual founding of Rhode Island,
As well as the founding of Pennsylvania with William Penn's attempts to be peaceable and fair;
Leading to the State of Penn--sylvania--'Penn's Woods'!)

The Enigma of the Eight-tailed Eagle! opus 181

1878 was the inauguration of the Morgan Silver Dollar.
The Philadelphia Mint started it off with an Eight-tailed reverse eagle.
HORROR! (At least for ornithologists)--
Raptors have only an odd number of tail feathers.
Eight is even! Raptors have one central tail feather,
Thus resulting in the consequential odd number.

So contemplate the Mint's rebuttal action.
Eight was minted, then as Seven, with an interesting caveat--
Leftover Eights were 'recapped' with a new Seven.
The result was four 'Eight tips' protruding out from under the Seven new feathers.
Thus, then, the unintentional creation of yet a new Morgan Error Coin!
1878 P Morgans now and forever shall always have 8, 7/8, and 7 tail feathers.

All these changes, by recognizing ornithologist's credence in their knowledge,
And that although communication was slow,
The world, even with its seeming lethargy, could reach out in detail,
Confusing us all with basic, hardcore, intriguing trivia!

Proper Treatment of the Vanquished opus 199

For centuries--and even millennia--
Humans, being territorial, consistently, as groups,
Would continually steal land areas from others.
The motives would be as a result of coveted space,
Resources, historical motives, greed, or philosophy.

The consequence of a takeover is how the conquerors
Treat the vanquished--are they 'equals'
Or are they 'lesser' in the eyes of the 'masters'.

Across our world there are examples of both results.
The Romans would conquer and then offer property and citizenship
To those who served their new nation;
Opposite examples are myriad and easy to recall throughout history,
Including our US revolution where the colonists had had enough.

When a conquered group is strictly held down
And treated unjustly, with no power to resist peacefully,
The only way to attempt for freedom or equal conditions,
Is to retaliate with violence and aggression.
When such a group does rack seemingly unjust destruction,
One who judges, must always keep in mind,
As to how the rebelling group was treated previously.
For humans, as several other fellow creatures might behave,
There exists a tipping point, beyond which existence is impossible.

As enlightened fellow humans, we who understand,
Must always recognize and work to alleviate
Such situations on our planet, resulting in justice
And an attempt to lessen unnecessary potential pending human disasters.

A Text to an Old HS Fellow Student opus 204

As always. The lopsided, unjust civilian butchery has commenced.
Things might be different, when Israel is reliant less on
The figmentary illusion of military might and much more
On true, hard, tenacious diplomacy towards peaceful coexistence.
If such had been done, history (and the future?) might be different.
This insanity will continue until it is done.
Israelis are permanently leaving their country, having no trust
In their failing, conservative, 'eye for an eye' government.
I long for a continually desired, enlightened era.
I have waited 50 years, as I am 82.
Ahmen. Frank

Turkiye, Celebrating 100 Years Today opus 208

Having lived in Turkey (now renamed Turkiye), for several years, teaching biology,
I am aware that today, 29 October, Turkiye will be 100 years old.
Kamil Mustafa Atta Turk carved out his new country,
Following bitter fighting, including the exclusion of the Armenians.
Atta Turk's mindset was always 'black and white'--
One was either a Turk in the new country or not.
He changed the Hijri Arabic calendar, jumping 600 years
To the Gregorian calendar.
He changed the Turkish language, written in Arabic, to Latin lettering.
He changed all surnames, requiring only Turkish names.
He banned the fez, naming a brimmed cap
Which he intended to interfere with the bowing practice of prayer.

Turkiye has undergone many changes over its hundred years,
But Atta Turk is still very present and cared for in his created country.

My Poems and Thoughts opus 213

Why all these poems and thoughts?
When I was recovering in the hospital with a new hip,
My son, Pierre, and others tidied up my house,
So I could move through with my walker.
I learned that he found my early poems,
Written on the backs of scrap paper,
And that when work was done they all read them aloud!
Being encouraged with such interest,
I began writing from masses of thoughts,
Resulting from my very rich life--
They just keep coming and coming.
Now they have a home on my Quail Ridge Land Trust website,
And have even 'graduated' to a website of their own:
(Poems by Frank Maurer).
As one wades through the random subjects,
One might see how my mind, observations, joys, and cares in life
Developed as I travelled in this 'mortal coil'.

11/11/11--Veterans Day opus 216

Would it be so, that on this day,
Sometime in the mist and fog of the future,
That there would be no further murdered bodies
To revere and remember.
The entire world might have learned
That war and killing does nothing to solve things;
Rather that the future day would be for those
Who served and died long ago--
Warfare would have become an obsolete word and action
And the children of the world
Would travel and meet, and laugh and understand each other
And prejudice and hatred would be unknown.

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.)

Gaza opus 219

At present 12,000 taken / gone.
Many, now unknown.
Taken by whom?
So many--
Does it really matter?
How many innocents must be sacrificed
From any side
To justify the end?

Remembrance of WWII and Vietnam. An Email from Loren opus 222

An email from Loren appeared, responding to my 'Gaza' poem--

'Beyond a threshold. It is hard to understand the scale of tragedy and loss.
I recently looked back on the tragedy that was WWII.
I knew it was catastrophic, but comprehending death
In the thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions is near impossible.
Difficult subject to tackle at 0800 Hours (the time of my 'Gaza' poem) or any time!'

My email response to Loren--
Yes, WWII. I was four, but remember the conclusion.
My father was involved in developing
The O2 pilots' breathing mask.
He had many interesting and harrowing tales
Which he related to his three children over the years.

I cannot look at the horrible films about such any more.
I declared myself a pacifist in 1966 amidst the Vietnam fiasco.
Trying times with all that and attempting to finish Grad school!
My number for the draft was never called,
But I was ready to choose among three--
A1 ambulance, prison, or flee to Canada.
I believe now I would have chosen Canada
And I would have become a passionate patriot!
(Who knows.)

Be well and stay in touch. I need the voice of youth
To surround me and help maintain some equilibrium.
As ever, Frank.

Climate Panic opus 230

Will science be lost in the abyss of ignorance?
Denial of our climate future
Has led to death threats of meteorologists,
Who are just attempting to warn the population
That the world climate is indeed changing,
Implying that local weather patterns are moderating.

The old Romans would kill the messenger carrying bad news.
Have we actually resorted now, even with science,
To threatening those merely voicing
The pending challenges to which
We must all eventually need to adjust?

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.

Two Types of Blackmail opus 240

Two types of blackmail are holding at present the modern world at bay--
One needed solution is how to counter the slaughter of the Ukranians
Where if pressed too hard, there is the constant fear of nuclear retaliation.
The second needed solution is how to counter the slaughter of Palestinians
When there is the continual religious guilt and pain, knowing that at one time,
The aggressor was once the victim of slaughter of its own.
With more love, compassion, and understanding from all,
This totality of basic cruelty might be mercifully obliterated and resolved.

Christmas Alone opus 251

I have always been sheltered by family to have companionship.
Now I am old and the youth are off on their own.
They do not realize how much they are now needed.
I wait for a moment to interact,
But in the meantime I have many wonderful memories
Which sustain me in thought to have continuous life.
So many memories of candlelight and the scent of an evergreen.
The future will eventually continue without me,
Although with a choice, I would love to see what might yet unfold!

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.

Awake, Neanderthal You have migrated to a new time zone opus 255

Our genome is shared with cousins Neanderthal and Denisovan.
Neanderthals migrated out of Africa to the north,
Then splitting into Denisovans moving east.
By going north, the Neanderthal genome mutated to cope with new conditions,
Including viruses and disease challenges in their new environment.
Before the Neanderthal disappeared 40,000 years ago,
They encountered a cousin species,
Homo sapiens--us, also moving out of Africa.
Some of each group took a liking to each other and created a Homo mix!
Neanderthals infected sapiens with some viruses.
Both Neanderthals and Denisovans passed on genes
Which influenced appetite and metabolism,
But they also shared genetic defenses
And genetic variants which affected sleep--
This, because of new varying day and seasonal times in the north.

Proteins in our cells rise and fall in a 24 hour cycle,
Controlling both slumbering times and when one wakes.
It appears that those of us who have inherited a certain array,
Seem to wake up earlier than those who comfortably snooze later.

So much to contemplate when we start to consider
Just exactly from where we come and who we really are!

The Olfactory Mammal opus 256

Crickets to purchase in the pet store.
Wandered by the fish--and then the Betta display.
She had her back to me--she was tall.
I said, "You can train those, you know."
She turned; morphologically lovely.
We chatted about her school, her past,
Her time in our town; I added just a bit.

Not sure if I said something or she,
But there was a blush to her face.
Her prominent nose reminding me
Of my first Armenian High School love.
Then my nostrils were filled with her
Sweet female scent.
A shot went through me and I, the biologist,
Knew I was truly an olfactory mammal;
As she walked away,
Leaving her lingering pheromone.
Indeed, my whole phylogeny
Raced throughout my ontogeny.

The Fire Pole opus 257

I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts,
The city, with a good educational system.
As many of you did, third graders toured
Their neighborhoods.
The one trip I remember was to the fire department.
And there was the brass fire pole!
The firemen demonstrated coming down
Through that hole in the ceiling!

Years later, now with two sons, living in their barn room,
And remembering my past, I asked
If they wished to have a pole.
Giving a resounding 'yes',
I simply cut a hole in the floor!
During all their youth,
Descending for school or chores,
They each glided down a pole to meet the day.

6 January 2024 opus 258

Today, the 6th of January is three years from the time,
When we all watched in real time, the invasion of our Capitol.
Today, in spite of the actual empirical evidence,
There are many, potentially destroying our democracy,
By actually denying that such a disruption ever occurred--
"It was only a group of enthusiastic tourists visiting their Capitol ."
Are we on the verge of a crumbling and destroyed democracy,
Where lies become the final truth?
Are we actually in this adumbration of a terrible future?

Lies are always, historically, uncovered and found out.

Replications opus 260

Is there a differentiation between
The confining, inescapable borders of Gaza,
Or the cattle car walls, transporting people
To their potential demise?
See how the protagonists shift, but a similar model
Often appears in our contentious human history.
There are only so many models of historical outcomes
Which can be replicated by this 'intelligent' human animal!

(2 to 12 to 21 to 22K at present.)

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.

To Don, My Brother-in-Law opus 263

(A silly little verse to amuse him in his confinement.)

So you request sipping some vodka with tea,
Which you say must be imbibed together with me.
We have a long history of ups and downs together,
So we have much to chew on--and not just the weather.
It is nice to have revived our former involvement
And thus allow us ensemble, to fade into the firmament.

The Position of the Eagles' Wings opus 268

You have heard, perhaps from me, about the debate
Between Jefferson and Franklin concerning the eagle vs the turkey?
Well, since Jefferson won, many of our coins have eagles!
If you have 'numismatically' studied our US coins,
Upon which are several eagles--
Have you noticed the position of these eagles' wings?

1858: Morgan dollars--wings outstretched to show strength?--
Even though the first minted number of tail feathers
Were even and not odd?
Civil War pending. Perhaps hopeful defiance?

1887:  'Flying Eagle' one cent--wings beautifully outstretched--
Hopeful for a peaceful thought after the Civil War? But, did not last long.

1921+:  The Peace Dollar, minted for only six days in that year--
Wings beautifully folded in hope of no further wars?
Then continued on for an abbreviated amount of time.

1932+:  Or our quarter with George Washington on the obverse
And the unimaginative eagle on the reverse.
Was this because of the devastating Great Depression
Or had we just lost the excitement surrounding our founding fathers
And created only a stereotyped eagle?
The mood of a country may be depicted through its coins.
There are so many more. Susse or ferret them out!
{Know the derivation of those two words? Just wondering.}

History is everywhere for the astute to behold!

The USS Constitution: Recollections of a Boy on One of Our Greatest Ships opus 272

Now sitting in Boston Harbor--Still commissioned!
The USS Constitution was visited by a small school boy.
A very large ship for a little boy,
Who imagined all that might have occurred,
While this ship was a weapon maintaining freedom.

Quick maneuvering, flashing cannons on her decks,
Dexterously guided by her captains.
It is said, cannon balls were deflated by her oaken hull.
That is the origin for the name 'Old Ironsides'.
Very low decks, as remembered by one
Who imagined how much bending would be needed
To be a tall man in amongst such quarters.
Used by Jefferson to quell
The ravaging Tripoli pirates in the Barbary War!
This beautiful wind powered ship
Shall always be a memory of inspiration
To now a grown, experienced cosmopolitan man,
Who continually revered every moment,
While conducting his own sailing.

(Reviewing sections of Kilmeade's and Yeager's
'Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates', I was jolted
into what was done with pirates blocking US trade and
today's efforts to break the world blockade of the Red Sea
and Suez by the Yemeni Houthis. History does repeat itself--
the Mediterranean and now the Red Sea. I was truly
overwhelmed reviewing our history.
My breath was taken away, almost to tears.)

United Columns opus 278

As a child, I was fascinated with the heads of columns;
The crown of each pillar, giving it quite a distinct personality:
First the Doric, a no nonsense head of squared, simple edges;
Then the Ionic, knowledgeable scrolls on two of its perimeters;
Lastly the Corinthian, an artistic uprising of clustered feathers.
The function of a column is to uphold the structure of the protecting roof.
All three superficially distinct,
But their function, no matter what their appearance,
Serve exactly the same, still maintaining a similar task--
To continue the shielding of that below.

So is the function of the varied citizens of our land;
To maintain the democratic strength and beauty of this incredible nation,
Which we citizens must never forget, even with our differences.
We must always realize that if we do not act in ultimate unity,
This great unique experiment may become
Just one more roofless Roman ruin.

The Enlightenment of a Man opus 279

Benjamin Franklin, with all his several flaws,
Was and still is one of this country's greatest citizens.
While defending himself in a hearing, but remaining silent,
Meeting in the CockPit, a former room
Where Henry VIII conducted his cock fights,
Franklin realized he and his country were being falsely accused.
Thus, he entered that room with its (English) British officials
As a loyal officer of the Crown and English,
Then exiting in enlightened retaliation
As a 'newborn' citizen of America.

If one is alert--certain words and thoughts swirling around us--
We sometimes are 'miraculously' able
To completely convert our very core of thinking.

    (This was inspired after seeing a Ken Burns
     film on Benjamin Franklin.)

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.

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!

My Haplogroup G on the Y Chromosome opus 293

DNA family ancestry became popular in the '80's and '90's.
I was very intrigued and sent in my saliva sample
To the 'pioneer' National Geographic laboratory, now gone,
Which yielded to '23 and Me' and other commercial groups.
My mother's X results showed my European and Scottish/Viking side,
While my father's Y yielded an exciting, unexpected history.
Instead of depicting a European story,
My Y chromosome showed a haplogroup G,
Found in the Turkiye, Armenia, Iraq, and Iran area--
The Fertile Crescent, origin of agriculture from 9 thousand years ago!
The haplogroup G was basically rare in Europe which demonstrated
That the practice of agriculture was not spread through warfare and plundering,
But rather through more gentle, cultural exchange.
Having applied to be a Pacifist, Non-combatant in 1966,
I was pleased that my biological background
Led me to a farming existence in Davis, California, my now home.
My maternal grandfather and Bill, his son, were also farmers.
It just took me 40 years to recapitulate my genetic beginnings!

The Egyptian Vulture opus 297

My first university teaching job was in Turkiye (then Turkey).
At Robert College (now Bogazici Universitesi) in Bebek,
On the Bosphorus, north of Istanbul.
The Science Building was quite new and my classes were on the first floor.
I had a laboratory of my own in the 'attic'.
There was a large enclosed, depressed area
Along the whole building on the south side.
During my entire life, even now at 82 in Davis, California,
I have always lived with and studied tortoises.
In Turkiye I worked with two species of Testudo--
T, graeca and T. hermani, observing them in the large depression.
Specifically, my studies included electrophoresis of blood types,
As well as diurnal behavioural movements of the two species.
To be terse, T. hermani's activities began earlier and lasted longer
Than those of its sympatric fellow species, T. graeca.
Thus, their daily movements divided their feeding times, reducing competition!
The appearance of the two is fairly similar.

I collected specimens both on the European
And on the eastern Anatolian territories.
As I moved through the wilder area of Anatolia,
I noticed that a number of the tortoise carapaces (upper shell),
Had large, healed cracks across much of the curved surfaces.
Upon queries and studying, I learned the cause was the Egyptian Vulture.
Tortoise flesh was one of their sources of protein.
I never actually saw this occurring, but the evidence was plentiful;
The vulture simply found a tortoise, flew up in the air,
Grasping the reptile's body with its talons and dropping it from a height
Which, perhaps after several attempts, cracked the shell enough
That the bird could pry it open and consume the protected body!
(In Africa, this vulture would 'fling' rocks with its beak
At ostrich eggs to break them open.)

I began to wonder what phenomenon
Caused the weaker, curved carapace to be cracked
And not the flat plastron, covering the tortoise underside.
North of Bebek, Ahmet the Conqueror had constructed the Rumeli Hisar
From which, paired with a fortress on the eastern side of the Bosphorus,
He could control, using cannons, the movements on the waterway.
(From here he later moved his boats on rollers over the hill,
Ending inside the protected, chained Golden Horn of old Constantinople,
Surprised the Greeks, and conquered the city!)
At any rate, I used that Hisar (fortress) with my students,
To drop preserved, dead tortoise bodies from the high parapets,
Observing how they would fall and land,
Imitating the hunting behaviour of the Egyptian Vulture.
As suspected, the aerodynamics of the curved carapace
Caused the tortoise body to rotate in the air and collide with the ground,
Making vulnerable, the weaker upper tortoise carapace.
From this experience and from so many more,
Turkiye taught me abundantly the enigmas of life.

1066 AD opus 299

After extensive travail, I discovered my ancestry
Trailed back to William the Conqueror, 8th Duke of Normandy.
As we sort of learned from the smutty comic scene in Henry the Fifth,
The conquest introduced, over several centuries,
French into England's Anglo-Saxon verbiage.
There are a myriad of examples, but one I love is our 'in lieu of ',
Which in English means 'in place of '.
'Lieu' in French, of course, also means literally 'place'.
I find it fascinating that this word jumped literally
From one language to another.
The 'nuance!', however, shifted from 'someone acting in place of another'
To the evolved meaning of 'one thing done or provided instead of another'.
Also the introductory moment was in the 15th century and not 1066.
But my fantasy of 1066 was not shattered.

After 1066, English was open to accepting Anglo-French vocabulary,
With numerous examples welling up, especially in the 14th and 15th centuries:
Fatherly became paternal, brotherly became fraternal,
Of course motherly became maternal,
But somehow sisterly did not even exist until the late 1500's,
Not to mention a competing French form.
Eventually soral appeared, but sisterly maintained its prevalence.
As we know, sorority is used from the Latin root, soror, meaning 'sister'.
The transfer of a word from one language to another
Is often because of the fancy of the speakers.
In spite of it all, 'lieu' appears to have sounded sexier (?) than 'place'--
Sort of emphasizing words, originally shadowing from 1066.

Alexei Navalny opus 302

Such a waste of an incredible mind.
Such a devotion to freedom and democracy.
Such patriotism for a lost cause country.
What could have been obtained, if he were in charge?
A country with such a past
Of tragedy, drama, color, and history.
Oh, Russia, what have you lost
By your leaders murdering such a being?
We will never know,
But there is always anticipation
That such a miracle might ever occur again.

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?

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.

Invaders, Conquerors, and 'Gentle' Expansionists opus 312

Introduction: I was born in and have travelled through or lived in
Many areas of the world where aggression was used to occupy.
Areas are taken over by another, generally,
Because of politics, history, religion, or for natural resources.
The means and methods of these conquests
Will usually determine the ultimate outcome.
These are the basic thoughts I have when I ponder this human trait.

Now, we are living through the present Gaza-Israeli War
With all its complications to sort out for proper comprehension.
Going back to historical examples, we have the Gauls,
Gengis Kong, and Alexander, among others,
Who basically invaded and conquered outright,
Often leaving military to continually oversee the vanquished population.
The Romans had a different approach: they conquered, then offered citizenship--
'Join the military, serve Rome, and retire with rank and property.'
This method of conquest incorporated the losers into the system, with all its benefits.
William Penn, a Quaker, 'created' Pennsylvania by negotiation, bargaining,
And thus demonstrated that two 'opposing' groups could actually survive together.

Then, there is the other side of the coin, those using blatant invasion and force alone.
A tiny example is the Scottish attempt (1695) to create a trading post in Darien, (Panama).
Today, we hear of the dense, miles-long jungle through which migrants now must encounter.
The Scots lasted a few years, politically alone, with no backup
From possible forces (England, Germany, Netherlands),
Which could have aided a forceful establishment in Darien--
The native people felt threatened and thus destroyed the whole project.
A second attempt was finalized with an attack by the Spanish!
Another--England desired a foothold in Ireland and carved out Northern Ireland;
The brutal takeover was so severe, augmented with tremendous religious difference
That only hundreds of years later was the continual smoldering hatred softened.

No group can knowingly take over another, to be occupied territory,
Without expecting violence and continual hatred, unless there is
Gentle and negotiated preparation for a population's entry.
Israel, where I have lived for a while is today manifesting
The horror of rebellion, because of a lack of proper planning.
With only a surrogate US/British/UN force for backing,
The State was created by placing the 'conquered' population
Into segregated camps, where they just simply languished.
(I remember my grade school weekly newsreels clearly depicting these scenes.)
By not properly preparing the existing population and surrounding Muslim countries,
It was only inevitable that continual hatred and violence would endure.
Demanding, for good reason perhaps, a one-religion state,
Plunked into the middle of an 'adversary' religious milieu,
Could one have not, without good introductory 'PR', expected anything else?
(While touring around Jerusalem (1970's) with a fellow professor,
He showed me many neighborhoods, explaining that it was his opinion
That the black segregated Jews in ghettos, the division of
Orthodox and Reformed Jews, and the Arab-Israelis with lesser status,
Juxtaposed with the arrogance of the European Jews
Towards those other non-European believers of the same faith,
All, he felt, would be the possible internal reasons
Why Israel might fail as an experiment.)

Religion-wise, look at the cleverness of the ever-spreading Catholic Church.
They 'conquered' (sometimes with an army) many areas
With their brand of a pathway to god,
But as they infiltrated, they merely renamed the native religious ceremonies,
Saying that they were basically the same (as they might have been!),
But the acceptance of the new names would include those conquered
In the greater power now available to them with this new religion.
To remain a conqueror with unwavering, complete purist dogma, often leads to downfall--
A successful conquering group must always compromise in order to reign,
Even if it results in a new reality for both groups--the conquered and the conquerors.

Why Do We Have a Leap Year? opus 314

Why do we have a Leap Year every four years?
The Romans in 45 BC had this figured out!
(Julius Caesar borrowed this idea from the Egyptians.)
They realized that to maintain the calendar (Julian),
In sync with the rotation of the planet,
They needed an extra day every fourth year! --
A perfect year is actually, more accurately, 365.242190 days.
Thus the added day in February every fourth year.
But, Caesar overestimated the solar year by about eleven minutes,
Leading to an overcorrection by about eight days each millenium.
Pope Gregory XIII later addressed this by adding leap days in years divided by four,
UNLESS the year is ALSO divisible by 100. Fine tuning further,
A leap day is STILL ADDED in years divisible by 400!

So you now know perhaps more clearly than most other citizens,
The precise formula as to how the calendar maintains winter in winter!

Green-dyed Food! opus 315

To dye food green in America is fun, but for an Irish person,
If heesh knows hiser history, it can be a shocking experience.
During the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, about one million Irish
Died in the span of six years, having no food.
These people were so deprived of food, they resorted to eating grass,
Which colored their mouths green as they died!
Thus an Irish person first confronting green-dyed food in the 'New World',
Is jolted into a recollection of the harsh reality of Irish history.

Another Irish nonhistorical fact is corned beef, consumed on St. Patrick's Day.
The Irish valued a cow for milk, not for meat,
So meat for such a person meant not beef, but pork!
When the English conquered Ireland, corned beef was added to the cuisine,
But it was not until the Irish arrived in America
That they learned to love corned beef, picked up
From their Jewish neighbors in the New York City melting pot!

Aging in the Darkness of Night opus 317

I awake in the center of the darkness of night--
Pondering on the tragedy of growing old and separate, juxtaposed
With my continual joy to be able to contemplate new accomplishments.
As I die and be no more, which will be in the majority of my thought?
Does it actually really matter in any way?
A living being has only one 'advantage',
And that is the ability to contemplate the past, the present, and the future,
So, it comes down to the illusions in that aging and slowly dying mind.

The Irish Stand for the Palestinians opus 318

The Irish people were conquered by England and were under its control.
This was finally remediated and Ireland is now a free nation-state.
When Israel was first formed in 1948 under the direction
Of the Palestinian area foreign secretary,
The brutal Arthur James Balfour,
Who also was chief secretary of Ireland before its freedom.
It was Balfour in 1917 who proposed a national home
In Palestine for the Jewish people.
Ronald Storres, governor of Jerusalem (1917-1926),
Wrote that if enough Jewish people moved to Palestine,
It could "form for England a 'little loyal Jewish Ulster'
In a sea of potentially hostile Arabism."
When the English settled in Northern Ireland,
It became known as the 'plantation of Ulster'.

Ireland sided with the new Israel
With all its challenges as a fellow underdog.
Of course Northern Ireland remained
As a constant reminder of English hegemony.
Israel began to secure more territory
And displaced more indigenous Palestinians.
Slowly, the Irish national sympathy shifted more
Towards the Palestinian dilemma and cause.
Today Ireland laments the horror of the 7 October Gaza attack,
But also questions the 'revenge' of the Israeli counter attacks.
Of the 5.3 million Irish citizens, there are only 2,700 Muslims,
But because of the similar history of conquest,
Irish sympathies towards the Palestinian plight
Is, at present, steadfast.

Indeed, the Irish do wish all those in Israel and Palestine
'That there's always hope and may your miracle
Come soon, as it did for us.'

Flying XI The Snowstorm opus 320

{It has been quite a while since I wrote my last 'Flying X'.
There have been many distracting world events to deter me!
These Poems and Thoughts were initiated to pass on some personal histories
For my two boys and any other family members who may be interested.
It has thus evolved, as well, to include commentary of all sorts,
But still remaining within the realm of my thoughts and concerns.}

While at Cornell as a graduate student, I flew small planes,
Having joined a University flying club.
To maintain some sanity during all the serious PhD studies,
Music in the Cornell orchestra and occasional flying here and there
Were the antidotes to clear my head from the challenging academic thinking.

After a few years of flying, I became quite proficient,
So I met more and more challenging weather situations.
In the winter of 1967(?) I was flying back to the Ithaca airport
When, suddenly the weather changed as it did often in northern New York.
Snow flurries from the Great Lakes spread across the area.
I had landed at an airport about half an hour flying time from Ithaca.
I called the control center and explained I needed to return to my home base.
(Probably the need was the result of a pending oral exam!)
After some discussion I convinced them I could fly on.
I had told them I knew all the highways leading to Ithaca
And that I would fly above the roads, following them to the airport.
Ok. I took off, flying at about 1000 feet, still maintaining a visual of the ground.
The snow was light, but thick around me.
I remember seeing the vehicles passing below me.
It was a sight I would never dismiss from my mind.
I did wonder, while above them, just what they thought of all this!
I followed the main highway west, turning left or south,
Then on to the anticipated runway ahead.
I believe I came down on runway 31 where I had learned to fly!
As I touched down and the wheels squealed in joy with the earth,
My heart was relieved, but in harmony with the joyful rubber below me.

The Hidden Perils of 'New' Technology opus 324

As the Romans reveled in their new technology with lead,
So we 'moderns' revel in the wonders of morphologically plastic, plastics.
Lead poisoning for the ancients and micro- and nano-plastics for the moderns' lungs!
(By the way, lead--plumbum--Pb--gave us the name for plumbers!)
(Will we have a new handle for the ignorant plastic-killers?)
(Removing lead pipes is one thing, but plastics of any sort pervading the whole world?)
(If we could only pause and think about possible implications.)

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.

Our relations with world events opus 330

Dear Arthur,
We have known each other, off and on, for many years.
When I was talking with you about insects in the diet,
You became flustered and suggested we only email each other.
(My research determines that at least grasshoppers are acceptable.)
I replied that I would not have such a relationship and we must wait.
We had a pause and then the Gaza crisis occured.
I am heartbroken that this is happening.
As a Jew, I am quite sure you constantly have lived a defensive life.
(You have told me several incidences of such in your life.)
I have therefore stopped communicating to lessen your anguish.
Whenever all this is resolved, we might continue.
I am sure my interpretation of history and events are different from yours--
You have already countered me on such.
No matter what our opinions or interpretations are,
You and I will not change any of the unfolding terrible events.
But, better, to argue or avoid the subject in silence--
Both would be painful and therefore silence is best at present.
There may come a time when this might change.
In the meantime, we must, each in our own way,
Simply suffer during this horrible man-made catastrophe.

Be as well as is possible.  Frank.

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'?

Can Revolution be Justified? opus 337

Revolutions by 'imprisoned populations' against powerful powers
Have occurred throughout history.
Our own U.S. revolution erupted when the once devoted population,
Had been taxed, countered, and had their freedoms slowly removed.
The French followed, revolting against their haughty Royalty.
Many such revolutions have erupted with similar motivations--
Haiti in 1804 being another, which freaked out President T. Jefferson!

Now we have the eruption of Hamas in Gaza,
Revolting, once again, because of a controlled population
Which basically has been held in an 'open air prison' since 1948.
What they did on 7 October 2023, was an horrid act,
But nonetheless a revolt, poorly, ideally, representing 'their people',
Screaming out once again that enough is enough.

The world, in the past, could have guided events,
So that the Palestians, who forcibly lost all their land,
Could have maintained dignity by possessing their own Nation-State
In a Two State Solution, created at that time,
So that these 'losers' at least maintained some dignity
With their own continuing, prideful legacy.
In this light, and compared to the origins of many other world revolutions,
Is it really so mysterious as to why this horror actually erupted?

To a Celtic-Cuban opus 339

Oh, you dear woman who struck me at my first moment's sight,
Merely perused on a Christmas card.
Fire emanating from you, with hot coals flowing down your shoulders.
You are what would be in a long time past--
A leader, on a gallant horse, leading troops of truth,
As did the mounted Boudicca, fighting for the celtic cause
Against the invading Romans.
I know little of your total accomplishments,
But you demonstrate the art of your place
And interpret for us the wonders of your environment.
Your Man, your wee one, and your physique
Tell me as a stranger, you are to be gently reckoned with.
I shall enter your place and environs with
Respectful trepidation and total honor for your traditions.
My horse and I kneel as we enter before you.
May we have mutual and continual understanding
For our earthly accomplishments,
To allow a beneficial environment for our offspring.
Bless you dear lady and I remain in perpetuity
Your servant in kind.

Indigenous American Agriculture opus 346

I couldn't wait for your information, so perhaps this might be useful to enhance your exhibit. The religious mounds, etc, would be another story. (I worked on this for about 10 hours!)

Contributions of Native Americans and the indigenous origins of many practices used today in the regenerative agricultural movement.

Original indigenous populations protected local ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, using good land management and farming methods. The landscape to which the Europeans arrived was not 'untouched land' -- the 'pristine myth' -- but rather that the land had been actively shaped. Indigenous Americans had advanced the practices, defining sustainable agricultural and land stewardship.

INTERCROPPING AND POLYCULTURES.

INTERCROPPING has been practiced by many early groups, including the Iroquois. The most well known is the 'Three Sisters'. The corn stalks provide a trellis for the beans, which add nitrogen to the soil. Additionally, the squash vines are a 'living mulch', improving soil health, maintaining moisture, and thus also preventing the growth of weeds.

INTERCROPPING, thus relies on crops that are complementary and compete minimally for resources. This improves crop productivity and yield stability over time, increasing soil health. Other benefits are pest management, weed reduction, insect and disease control. Temporary cover crops (eg. legumes) also improve soil health, sequester carbon and aid in biodiversity. Remember how the Pilgrims were shown the fertilizing method of planting a dead fish in each crop mound.

POLYCULTURES imitate nature by planting various species in the same area, with similar benefits of intercropping. Polycultures demonstrate greater use of nutrients, light, and water than monocultures.

WATER MANAGEMENT.

Today's water management historically returns to indigenous practices. Planting-mounds used by indigenous people in more humid climates drained excess moisture.Mounds or ridged-furrows are used the same way today.

Peoples in arid climates (the Hohokam, Arizona tribe) built canals for their irrigation to farm. The Pueblo people used small dams to productively redirect water, thus preventing erosion. These methods are used today and with modern technology, drip irrigation prevents water loss and erosion.

AGROFORESTRY.

Early peoples practiced agroforestry, by managing trees, crops and wild, then domesticated animals together for mutual benefit. SILVICULTURE or tree management (remember Pennsylvania means 'Penn's Woods'), including growth and composition to enhance wildlife and better hunting, had been traditionally practiced for millenia. SILVOPASTURE was used to graze animals (wild, then domestic) among trees. Better forest health, increased soil carbon levels, shade for animals (ever more important with increasing heat due to the Climate Crisis) and greater wildlife habitat are enhanced by using both silviculture and silvopasture methods.

Of course controlled fires were used by early peoples for forest management. With the ENVIRONMENTAL SUCCESSION process, nutrients were shifted from the soil to an organic plant form. The Midwestern and Southwestern grasslands were burned in selectively chosen forest areas to promote regeneration of forests which still exist today in the Midwest and Texas Hill Country. The ash from these forest fires were used to fertilize crops by collecting it and transferring it to crop areas. Of course, the regenerating grasses, shrubs, and trees, having increased tender leaf growth, attracted wildlife for better hunting. The clearing of much brush and undergrowth allowed for easier hunting with bows and spears. As a byproduct of these fires, grasshoppers and locusts were 'fried' for delicious meals (entomophagy, the eating of insects, which as our protein sources become limited, will be used by future Moderns, once again). Today we use prescribed, controlled burns to reduce fire hazard, clearing areas near cities and towns. The native people also did this around their villages and encampments for exactly the same reason!

PERMACULTURE.

Permaculture, coined by Bill Mollison, was a practice to farm, using all the surrounding environmental features to maximum benefit; working with the natural forces, as opposed to against. The indigenous people planted legumes, plants which 'fixed' nitrogen and added other vital nutrients to the soil. This practice by Moderns is used to reduce dependence on fertilizers and to improve soil health.

For further information:

Books titled '1491' and '1492' by Charles C. Mann.
Permaculture books by Bill Mollison.

Strong People opus 347

Strong people do not need strong leaders.
When strong people are wounded, they have limited pain
And as strong people heal, they bind up and get on with it.

With this in mind, how many do we really know?

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.

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.

The Wisdom of the Inexperienced opus 358

I was talking with my ophthalmologist about world affairs
In the few extra minutes we are allowed in our pressured medical world.
He said it was, "Too bad that our (USA) students
Should be demonstrating about Gaza."
His thought took me back to my Vietnam-demonstrating days.
The country was then in turmoil, some of my family even disowning me,
But we finally stopped the brutal, horrible, unnecessary war,
And now we are friendly and trading-allies!

Today, the Palestinian situation of injustice has commenced long enough,
And a just Two State Solution is what must obtain.
Religion, guilt and fervor entwined us in this--mess.
For my whole life I have endured and anguished with these conflicting peoples.
Uncomfortable as it may be, are once again our students correct?
Students are lacking in much experience and knowledge,
But there is a childlike, youthful innocence towards what is right.
Thinking human animals often create uncomfortable situations,
But youth, where and when they are allowed to speak,
Often show what is the right and just path.
They are the ones, when contemplating the implications of their future lives,
Who resist their stagnant elders, mired in their indecision,
And cry out, "We do not want to inherit the world you are presenting us!"
Unlike their tired elders, youth are full of energy
And that energy often is directed towards a better life
Which they wish to pursue into their unknown futures.

Neanderthals (and Early Homo sapiens) Could not Live on Mammoth Flesh Alone! opus 361

Butchered bones with stone blade marks are prominent in Prehistoric middens.
The question is, did our ancestors consume anything but meat?
Time has passed until now, when, with new research techniques,
We are learning that a large array of plant material
Has been detected and identified around the fossil dentition of the ancient ones.
Chard, wild oats, beans, wild peas, mushrooms, wild mustard,
Acorns, pistachios, and other nuts all have been ferreted out from their non-existent gum lines!
Meat, as it should be with us also, was not continually consumed,
Thus, resulting in a nice omnivorous diet, as our dentition so indicates.

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?

Contentment After Eight Decades opus 374

My world has been filled with a good childhood,
With the nurturing of two loving and attentive parents,
Exciting education, three major wars,
Civil Rights struggles, acting upon pacifism,
Exciting biological work and discovery,
Learning to fly and to organically farm, and fundraising for the planet,
And lastly, from my Pictish ancestry, hand carving of petroglyphs,
Now distributed throughout the world.
Of course so much of this was shared and aided with my incredible wife, Nora.
So much in one human life--Enriching.
Now, my body has slowed down,
To pursue less physically strenuous endeavors.
My thoughts and mind must continuously constrain
My former natural instincts to be able to accomplish 'everything'.

I wake in the morning to view from bed and opening eyes,
My Betta fish swimming up and down in their large vase aquaria,
To gulp air, they being obligate, labyrinth breathers.
I have studied their biology and joy in their every gulping breath.

Recalling the past,
During feeding, my gentle Scottish Highland Steer ate from my hand.
I have had many flocks of sheep, grazing down the pastures, preventing
fire risk.
After constructing acres of ponds,
Casting feed out to waiting, excited catfish swirling the water.
Planting thousands of bulbs which colored my fields every spring,
Ready to harvest for waiting Farmers Markets.
(I also led a CalTrans Highway flower project on I 80 and 113, lasting 3 years.)
Upon learning California flora, I have seeded many species of native grass,
One of which I got designated as the official State Grass,
Along with planting many types of trees and shrubs.
I had one set of two grandsons who shared these joys
(Plus two sons who grew up amongst all this)
And now a three year old grandson
Who is just beginning to learn and enjoy it all.

I continue to use my creation here to edify visitors about their
native environment.
Learning, creating and teaching to increase awareness
Has given me my now final contentment, following my eight decades on this earth.

Might I have been a Coworker with Betsy Ross? opus 376

If I were born in a different era
And perhaps with a different chromosomal arrangement,
I could easily have trained to be a seamstress.
As a child, I participated with my father
To work on the sewing machine (on which he taught my mother!),
Creating a sail for my outrigger Grumman canoe.
I later sewed by myself, a huge 15 foot sail
Which I utilized to hold on my shoulder
And sail on skates across my belov-ed Crystal Lake.
Around that time, I tailored a seven foot kite
Which, when inaugurated,
Almost raised my little brother, John, off the ground!
When first married to Maggi, who tragically died in Africa,
I designed and made with her, while in Turkey,
A completely round black cape with a hood!
At any rate, it is clear I enjoy the art of sewing.

To finish with Betsy Ross, Washington came to her,
Proposing a flag with stars.
Being of English Heraldic stock, he wanted a six pointed starred flag.
So the story goes, Betsy replied that six pointed stars were very laborious,
But with proper folding and one snip, a five pointed star could be
rapidly formed.
Do check out European stars (eg on coins) and see for yourself.
At any rate, in a different time, I might have been mass producing
five pointed stars!

An Eye for an Eye opus 378

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Or is it 30,000 eyes for an eye
And 30,000 teeth for a tooth?
War crimes pronounced on both sides.
The question emerges after so many eons
Of human history and warfare--
What on earth is true justice
For our century today?

Ukraine opus 379

There once was an ancient nation
Which slowly claimed an empire.
Too big, too unwieldy, too costly;
Then later giving the various parts their freedom.

A leader reemerges from the past, with eyes on the past.
Claiming historical 'right'; a brutal invasion occurs--
Basic murder and attrition.
At this time of writing the outcome is unknown.
Shall right prevail for the small nation,
Or shall false claims prevail,
Wrongly reciting 'history' on the other side?

Is Our World Losing its Finest Democratic Republic? opus 381

Its Supreme Court is now destroying long-term precedents.
A candidate is running again, despite his crimes and untruths.
A party of the House is following that candidate, gobbling all.
Basic human freedoms, including power over women's bodies,
Are slowly eroding to nothing.

Unheard of power is now allowed for the presidency.
"No man is above the Law."
I recollect the history of Russia and Germany,
Including so many small powers throughout history.
Will the logic of the people utilizing their pending vote
Block at least a part of this potential huge shift in law and history?
Four months remain. . . . .

6 June 1944 opus 383

So many gave their lives on that fateful day
In many various ways to stop the Nazi oppression.
I was a young child of three on that day,
My father being in the very midst of it all.
He, because of his educational background--
Physiologist and engineer--
Was absconded to work in secret
On high altitude breathing equipment.
Our planes, limited by freezing O2 masks,
Were pummelled by the high flying Germans.
First, he designed a mask with a double layer over the face
Which, when warmed by the cheeks,
Would allow continued flow of life giving O2.
Then he tested them in chambers and in the B-17s.
This effort was the beginning towards his early death,
For he carried a rheumatic fever, wounded heart from childhood--
He lasted until only 57 years of age, in spite of medical intervention.
Third, the government instructed that he form a production company
To produce for the war, all sizes of needed masks and goggles.
This he did with a 'partner' who was later revealed as dishonest.
So much confusion and turmoil for him at the war's conclusion.
I remember several trips to Cape Cod to visit a French-Canadian attorney,
Hired to protect my father, innocent on all counts.
While they worked on the case,
I met a glorious sand and beach grass habitat!
I never completely understood everything until years later.
I do remember the eight white plaster head models,
Placed under the cellar workbench,
Used to model for the many face variations, sized for a proper mask fit.
One thing I learned was that my father's beautiful coin collection,
Which he often showed us children, needed to be sold.
If he were still alive, what a joy to discuss with him today
All the wonderful coin sagas I now myself have learned.
So many memories like this linger in my 'historical mind'.

Amputations of Man and Beast opus 384

Perhaps as long as 30,000 years ago Homo sapiens
Were performing amputations--Homo neanderthalis
Probably had them beat by several thousand years!
But let's talk of amputations millions of years ago!
Carpenter ants, it has now been discovered,
Have continuously amputated injured legs
Of fellow warriors, when necessary.
They are also presumably able to produce
Antibiotic secretions for serious wounds
As well as for amputations when needed--
Lower leg wounds are left alone
Because if altered, death usually occurs,
While upper leg wounds are successfully
Amputated and treated.
Ants produce many antimicrobial compounds
And have evolved to possess many medical treatments.
This, of course, includes therapeutic amputation!

I believe this is monumental information
Which draws our thoughts towards various life forms,
Ever closer together, and gives us pause
As to just how we might evaluate 'other life'!

California's Newest State Symbol opus 386

Several years ago I proposed and had finally passed as a state symbol,
Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra), the now state perennial native grass
Which was a food staple for native people
And is now used in restoration to outcompete star thistle.
Each plant can stay around quite a while-- 150 years!

Recently California just designated the Pallid Bat as that group's representative.
A most interesting creature consuming insects and scorpions in its diet.
It also consumes cactus (plant) nectar--one of two bats in the world to do so.
The Lesser Long-nosed Bat generally sips cactus nectar
And pollinates with a delicate tongue.
Researchers were surprised to observe the Pallid Bat,
Pollinating by shoving its whole head into the flower!
These bats use echolocation to hunt on the ground
For beetles, crickets, as well as scorpions
The venom of which they are totally immune!
They also found that Pallid Bats transferred
Thirteen times as much pollen as the Lesser Long-nosed Bat.
So the more 'refined' and delicate consumption of the latter species
Was way out done by the less mannered, new discovery--the Pallid Bat.

My Mount Monadnock Campers' Hike opus 389

When I was about 10 or so, driving somewhere with my father and the family,
I distinctly remember his verbal disapproval of all the trash thrown
out along the highway.
Soon thereafter, Massachusetts signs popped up on the roadways
Declaring a $1000 fine for dispensing trash on the highway's edge.
That lesson stuck with me on a field trip during my wonderful Audubon
camp activities,
Where we learned of the geology as we climbed Mount Monadnock (most
climbed in NH).
In our backpacks we all carried a lunch enclosed in a brown paper bag.
We hiked to the top, the counsellor pointing out geology, flowers, and
tree species.
At the summit, we perused the sights below and ate our lunches.
There were about 20 kids and lots of paper waste accumulated.
The question arose: what to do with the trash--
(This item for discussion would never have occurred today!)
Our counsellor, I distinctly recall, told us to stuff the bags between
a rock crevice.
I was horrified and immediately countered with
'We should not do this--it is wrong!'
I am not really sure why I was so motivated
(Perhaps from my father's outrage with the highway trash),
But I organized all the kids to gather the bags, stuff their backpacks,
And carry the trash down to be disposed of in parking lot receptacles.
There was complete cooperation, overruling the counselor's instructions--
And that was the beginning of my efforts to support nature for the
rest of my life!

The Unfolding of Classical Music's Morphology opus 395

Palestrina -- Forbidden to add a touch of dissonant spice.

Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel, Scarlatti -- Lush harmonies of longitudinal
    interaction with not a single pause.

Haydn -- Father of the orchestra, but always locked into the motif.

Mozart and Beethoven -- Students of Haydn, but each morphed so
    differently--still locked into the motif--the former just a more
    brilliant form of the teacher; while the latter struggled with new
    forms,--still locked into the motif!

Mendelsohn -- Composing on the Christian side of a split family.

Brahms and Bruckner -- Giant, with so much more free form--truly Romantic.

Debussy -- The gentler tone poem--stories in a pleasant flow of notes.
    (e.g. La Mer).

Tchaikovsky -- A tortured man, but the flash of musical Russia is
    always there.

Shostakovitch -- New frontiers with his 12-Tone System.

Stravinsky -- New style and sound--Picasso-like. (Listen to his Mass.)

Now the electronics -- Several good composers have worked in this
    medium for years.

Modern freestyle -- Lose and often cacophonous and kaleidoscopic.

There is something for every listener, in any mood and/or with any emotion.

Domestication opus 396

Have you ever noticed the multicolored coat of reindeer (caribou)?
In addition, if you conduct deeper research, how about Fallow Deer?
Both these species have been semi-domesticated
Over centuries of human manipulation.
The Sami have herded reindeer forever
And Fallow Deer were transported from Turkey to Britain in 1100 AD.
When an organism is 'protected' by humans over a long period of time,
Evolutionary parameters fall away because coloration is irrelevant to survival.
The domestication of wolves to dogs is another example--
Reduction of dentition and snout, floppy ears,
And a curled tail manifest themselves.
The Russian experimentation of foxes revealed the same phenomena.

Humans became 'domesticated' with the advent of cooking.
A large heavy jaw with large teeth has now manifested into a finer jaw
And smaller teeth, with some, the molars, becoming obsolete!
Many of us have crowded teeth--tooth size is changing
Slower than a diminishing jaw!
From ingesting grasses and leaves to tearing apart raw meat,
To masticating cooked food--we are the only animal which does so.
It is interesting that all other primates, when given the choice,
Prefer cooked food--it is just that the brainpower is not there
To associate cooking and the need for fire!

Making Peace opus 397

There was a Swedish peace group (out of New York City?),
Which used the philosophy of attempting to gather hostile groups,
Find a common life challenge and merge them together to talk.
One such attempt was made at UC Davis in the nineties
To engage the Egyptians and the Israelis in such a situation.
With all the irrigation in California, the top soils were becoming mineralized.
UC Davis was developing plant varieties which would better survive in
such soils.
Egypt and Israel both have mineralized soils from the remains of ancient seas.
I learned that the two groups were attempting to interact.
First two separate rooms, then together but with translators,
Then as their scientists wanted faster communication results,
They just started to talk together--problem solving!
As the barriers were dissolved, field trips were created.
I was honored by receiving this mixed group of scientists,
To host a tour of my polyculture, small 37 acre farm.
To learn what had been accomplished in our nearby university was exciting
And I shall never forget the 'frosting' I added to the conclusion
Of a tremendous breakthrough between two hostile nations.

How Long a Bully? opus 408

There was one who bullied his way into the presidency.
Now with unforeseen events, there is another,
Like Boudica (Victorios Queen), a Celtic Queen of the Iceni,
Comes to the fore, not with a sword, but an honest, strong tongue
Which might just shame the bully to a shrivelled heap.

My Scottish Connection opus 416

After discovering my Scottish origins and connections,
I have worn a kilt (or tartan) for many years.
From my Pennsylvania MacCalums, to the Stewarts, etc,
To 'way back to Kenneth MacAlpin, a first king of Alba.
Before donning my tartan, I was obliged to do some research.
I discovered there were tartans for families and clans
And, additionally, for districts, states, provinces,
Highway patrols (eg California), to celebrate centennials,
As well as generic tartans, worn by anyone with no Scottish connection!
One also has the choice of the historical great kilt,
Or the modern tartan, designed by an Englishman!

The history is massive and totally intriguing (and tragic),
So I will conclude with Tartan Day, commemorating Scots.
In Canada and the United States, the chosen date for Tartan Day is 6 April,
Honoring 6 April 1320, when Robert the Bruce and his nobles
Signed and sent their Declaration of Arbroath to the French (!) Pope,
Asking for the recognition of Scotland as a nation and to be free from England.
Among several documents, Thomas Jefferson used the Scottish Declaration
As a model for the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

During one of my Scottish visits, a young land reform activist remarked to me,
"The wearing of the kilt is a symbol of historical,
Cultural resistance and contemporary cultural regeneration."

Suas Alba! (Alipa) Up Scotland!

Just a Passing Thought opus 418

Are you familiar with the (Thomas) Jefferson Bible?
It is housed in the Smithsonian Institution.
He literally cut and pasted the four Gospels into a 'Jefferson version'.

Many religious variations and reformations have occurred in history.
Judaism has branched into several 'denominations',
Including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform plus others!
Islam has yet to create a true religious reform--
But certainly has two orthodox forms.
(Perhaps a reformation will emerge from their American experience.)
Christianity, of course, has subdivided into many denominations,
Plus has experienced a very serious Reformation--Catholic to Protestant.

My thought is, why has there not been a modernization,
Dealing with the Christian Old Testament?
In 325 AD, The First Council of Nicaea (Iznik, Turkiye),
Guided the contents of the Old and New Testaments;
Other accounts were relegated to the Apocrypha.
For instance, might the Old Testament be edited for modern Christians
To modify or eliminate the Kosher laws (Deuteronomy 14:1--21);
Edit the two descriptions (Genesis 1 and 2) of the creation stories to one;
And eliminate Deuteronomy 13:1--18 which describes
The destruction of a complete village, along with all living things,
If those inhabitants have turned away from belief in the true god?
Of course much would remain for the modern Christian,
Such as the beautiful poetry of the Song of Psalms
And, naturally, the various prophecies and most of the histories.

This would be an interesting and perhaps important project,
Making the Christian Old Testament more modernized and relevant.
Read with a possible new viewpoint,
Realizing what conclusions you might consider.

Just a passing thought-----.

A California Saga--Freezing! opus 419

I have lived and farmed here in Davis for decades.
In the 80's the winter task was to wrap pipes,
And cover plants, preventing freezing.
On the plus side, I skated with my two boys on one of our fishponds!
Never, would we have envisioned a warming, changing so much.
Now it is drought, fire, and water challenges--
Wells, once dug to a depth of thirty feet,
Are now obligated to excavate to hundreds (200 then 400)!
I am near the end of my time on this earth--
How, in 'god's name', will my offspring
Cope with these huge, rapid, human-induced changes,
Manifesting, on the once climatic 'golden age' of our planet we so loved?

Who's Got Milk? opus 422

We humans are mammals--homeotherms (warm blooded),
Hair, and mammary glands, producing milk for offspring.
The milk in mammals is for strong, early growth.
No mammal consumes milk as an adult--
Oh, except some adult Homo sapiens!
Humans, as always, attempt to 'outwit' the system.
Northern Europeans, especially,
'Discovered' milk as an additional food source.
The problem was adult lactose intolerance--
By attempting the imbibition of milk,
Many became very ill or actually died!
Those who remained, were the progenitors of our dairy industry today!
Ah, once again, Nature, through evolution and its natural selection,
Has manifested its strange outcomes,
Which baffle the uneducated and ignorant non-thinkers.

Norumbega ('Belonging to Norway') -- The Site of Vinland? opus 426

My father (and mother) loved to go fishing,
So he took us all (mother, John, Susan, and me),
To the Charles River (named after Charles I in 1614--
Charles was only a prince then, but explorer, John Smith
Had expectations for the lad--who later lost his head--
And then came the wicked Cromwell and thereafter,
The exiled , enlightened son, Charles II.)
(This is why the new British king is Charles III!)
Lots of history where I grew up--
I shall attempt to control my being an historiaphile!

At any rate, we often fished near a 40 foot fieldstone tower,
Built (1889) to pay homage to the supposed Vinland--
A Viking fort and settlement (1000 AD) started by Leif Erikson.
As children (and once as a returning adult) we, now I,
Often climbed the spiral staircase.
The Tower still quietly stands surrounded by comforting trees.
The fishing usually produced a sunfish or bluegill--occasionally a catfish.
Our family also enjoyed, at other times,
Norumbega Park's amusements across the river.

Later, in High School (Newtonville), I took classical double bass lessons
At the Newton Music School in one of the eleven 'Newtons'.
Our 'final exam' was the School's public outreach,
Performing Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 16.
This was my first public performance with a large audience
And it was played in the very famous Totem Pole Ballroom at the Park.
(The Park itself survived from 1897 to 1963--the Ballroom, from 1930 to 1963.)

This Ballroom was to come twice again in my life,
When my first love Seta Derhohannesian, a senior,
Invited me to the Newton High prom,
Followed by Susan White, who accompanied me for my second senior prom.

Years later, for my 50th High School reunion, I returned to the Park,
But now (2008), I stayed in the Radisson Hotel now on the beloved Park's site.
The hotel's position was near the two bear cages I remember from childhood.
That year, while there, I looked up Seta and spent some lovely
innocent time with her.
We talked birds, as she was just starting some serious birdwatching--
I remember, hearing for the first time, in my hometown, Newton,
A Cardinal's vocalization--they have shifted north resulting from the
Climate Crisis!

The Park was a focal point--not planned-- throughout my life.
It was called one of the many 'trolley parks' from the 1890's,
Where many parks were created for business at the end of a trolley line.
This park at that time, and little known to me, had been declared
New England's finest amusement park--including the Totem Pole Ballroom
Which heard the music of Miller and Dorsey echoing through its walls.
I truly have lived a life surrounded by wonderful history,
Which has obviously nurtured my mental ontogeny!

Sole or not a Sole? opus 431

Some laws of religion are being used in a profound conflict
With the Hippocratic Oath of 'Do no harm'.
Is there indeed a soul and when is it implanted in the new blastula?
The obliteration of a sane, humane law, which had aided women for 50 years,
Now looms large, to reveal great suffering with no helpful health care.
I seem to remember an ancient religious Egypt pharaoh banning reproduction,
Which finally resulted in the realization of a population collapse.
I recall from former reading that the regime was eliminated.
Historically real or not, have we created our own 'Egypt Syndrome',
Where our women will slowly be eliminated
Through their own deaths and lack of reproduction,
Yielding an ever-declining population to NOTHING?

Kris Kristofferson -- A Look-A-Like? opus 437

People I met in the 80's and 90's would often say,
'You look like Kris Kristofferson!'
I even had an encounter with a gentleman
Who traversed a large parking lot to verify
Whether or not I was indeed the great star!
All this amused me, but I was never sure just why.
Kris has just died at the good age of 88.
Upon checking on who he really was,
Impressed me beyond belief.
I had thought he was just a film star, but no:
Football player, paratrooper, helicopter pilot, boxer;
A Rhodes scholar, studying Shakespeare and William Blake!
He was disowned by his military parents,
For leaving that institution to write songs.
'His songs were like short stories.'
One of his quotes made me feel great kinship:
"I am a songwriter, but I'm also concerned with my fellow human beings.
And I'm real concerned with the soul of my country."
In the end, he had profound short term memory loss,
Something which for me, would be devastating,
But he persevered and was productive to the end.

I may have looked like Kris Kristofferson, but in my now older age,
I deeply understand that looks alone are meaningless.
He and I have some similarities in our accomplishments,
But in spite of his great fame, I would have still felt comfortable
To sit with him and juxtapose our philosophies together.
Kris, you are a great example of a human using your full potential, honorably.

Alex Salmond (Former Scottish Prime Minister) opus 442

So many around me are passing on their mortal coil.
This, of course, is because of my age of 83.
I just learned of the passing of Scottish Alex Salmond, 69,
Who fought politically so fervently for Scottish Independence.
I met Alex in San Francisco, while he reached out to California
To increase Scottish trade with the world's 6th largest economic entity.
Alex loved horse racing, so our meeting occurred at a Bay Area race track--
Including kilts, talk of Scottish history, scotch,
And a display of my hand-carved stones.
There, I made a presentation of a small stone carving,
Depicting a knot overlaid by the Scottish thistle.

Days later, Upon Salmond's return to Scotland,
I received a wonderful, much treasured thank you note, from Alex,
Expressing his warm thanks, praising my ancient carving methods.
Alex Salmond will truly be a part of Scotland's continual attempts
To be once again an independent nation-state,
And I am so proud to have known him.

Columbus Was a Jew? opus 443

After more than two decades of research,
Scientists have confirmed that Christopher Columbus
Was a Sephardic Jew from (Spain?) Western Europe.
(Sephardic is derived from Sefarad, meaning 'Spain' in Hebrew.)

Oh dear, I hear it coming now from both sides--
Of course the expressed pride of the Jewish people,
That such an important historical person was 'one of them',
And conversely, that it had to be a Jew,
Who caused the opening of the New World,
With its consequential destruction
Of those two continents' native peoples.

Just wait and see--perhaps everyone will leave 'it' alone for once!

No comment!  F.

Time Slowed to Almost a Standstill opus 445

The Greenland shark may reach an age of up to 500 years,
Now recognized as the longest living vertebrate animal.
They grow as little as a few centimeters per year, up to five meters,
Reaching four meters and sexual maturity at 150 years old.
Because of the excessive fishing before WWII,
There appears to be no sexually active adults living.
The sampling so far has found only sub-adults,
Implying that it will be another 100 years
Before the population might start reproducing once again!
This is a severe example of how human activity
Can negatively affect another creature's well being
And a reminder of the delicate balance required
To sustain such incredible life forms.

There was Chicxulub and now Nadir? opus 446

Why can't freakin' science just leave things be!?
We are aware of the 'Chicxulub' meteor, 66 million years ago,
Leaving a 124 mile-wide crater under the Gulf of Mexico's
Yucatan Peninsula, and basically wiping out the dinosaurs.
(But, of course, birds are still around!)
As has been assumed, this asteroid acted alone.
But wait--another 5 mile-wide crater, formed at around the same time,
Has been found off the coast of West Africa and named the Nadir Crater.
The rim of the crater itself is about 9,200 meters wide,
With 22,000 meters of concentric circles called the brim.
The approaching 450-500 meter-wide asteroid became a fireball,
Hitting the Earth at about 72,000 km per hour.
Along with this was a 70 magnitude earthquake.
Of course, it is unusual to have two large impacts so close in time,
Both occurring at the end of the Cretaceous period,
The period when the dinosaurs became extinct.

Today Bennu, about the same size as the Nadir asteroid,
Is currently the most hazardous object orbiting near Earth.
With a probability of 1 in 2,700, Bennu could hit Earth about September 2182.
By that time the art of nudging asteroids out of orbit may be totally
perfected!?!

Political Order opus 450

In order to make good POLITICAL decisions for a SOCIETY,
There needs to be a strong, unifying CULTURE.
After which that SOCIETY must work in its best unison,
Resulting in strong, just, POLITICAL decisions for that population.

POLITICS out of that sequential order,
Results in disharmony and possible dictatorship.

My Neanderthal Past opus 451

I often think of those Neanderthals from my past;
Wondering just who coupled
With my first Homo sapiens mother.

Alien Enemies Act of 1798 -- 'Operation Aurora' (Trump) opus 456

In 1798 the new United States was facing
A possible 'Quasi-War' with France;
An irony, as they were the ones who bailed us out,
During the revolution with Britain!
On 6 February 1778 during the Revolutionary War
The US and France signed the Treaty of Alliance,
Which set up a military alliance between the two
And aided the Americans and their cause against the British.
But in 1793 a war between England and France commenced,
Causing John Jay to negotiate a trade treaty with Britain,
Increasing trade between the two and averted war again with Britain.
However, France saw it as a violation of their 1778 treaty with the US,
Jay now giving preferential treatment to Britain!
Also the US refused to continue paying the Revolutionary French debt.
In 1796, France started to harass US merchant ships,
Which also sparked the creation of the US Navy.
France tried to bribe the US delegation attempting peaceful negotiations,
In the so called XYZ Affair, which created anti French chaos at home
And the creation of the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts intended to keep
Foreigners (French!) living in the US from influencing American opinions.
It was Napoleon in 1799 who stopped the French hostilities with the US
And in 1800 a treaty was signed ending the undeclared war.

Much more history ensued, but this is the Treaty,
Desired to be used by the 'new', incoming US administration of 2025.
The questions now to use this in the present day
Require answers from our present conservative Supreme Court:

--Are we at war--a point which is in the Treaty;

--What can we do legally with immigrants with several stati;

--Using this Treaty, are actions subject to abuse in peacetime;

--Are immigrants part of an 'invasion' or 'predatory incursion';

--When can the president act without a congressional vote
  (The Constitution gives only the Congress, the power to declare war);

--Could noncitizens be treated as prisoners of war;

--Could the president proclaim a rhetorical invasion;

--Could there be a non-literal reading of the Act--
  To invoke the unlawful migration and cross-border narcotics trafficking;

--Is there any way in which this Act could be used outside of war?

There are many other questions which must be answered.
I await somewhat in trepidation to witness what will unfold.

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.

Ancient Artists Proved Right! opus 459

We have all loved the beautiful cave paintings
Made thousands of years ago.
Deep in dark caves, illuminated by torches
To enable the artists to complete their works.
Of many, one stands out--that of the Wooly Rhinoceros.
An incredible, strong depiction, but with a hump,
Emphasizing a great arch on its back.
Was this created out of an artist's imagination
Or were these creatures endowed with such morphology?
Recently a Coelodonta antiquitatis
Was pulled from 10,000 year old permafrost.
It was in Yakutia, Siberia, and what do you know?
The body exhibited a shoulder hump,
Proving that the ancient artists were more than accurate.
The humps with their lipid stores
Did indeed aid the rhinos through rough,
Challenging winter months.

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!

Shortsightedness? opus 462

We recently voted for our own personal pocketbooks--
But have we opened a greater Pandora's Box,
Far beyond anything most would imagine?
How might Adams and Hamilton have argued this one?

My Neanderthal Kindred opus 464

While reading 'Kindred' by R. Sykes,
I felt very close to my Neanderthal cousins.
She relates the anthropologic reality of our past fellow Homos.
I began to fantasize what I, as an early hominid,
Would feel upon meeting my first Neanderthal people,
As I, much later in time, migrated out of Africa.
These were heavy-boned beings, hirsute, but upright as I.
My relative hirsutelessness and lighter skin, contrasted me
From these other fellow hominins.
Would I have been afraid, alarmed, or felt a curiosity in a similar creature?
Our communication or language would have undoubtedly been 'foreign'.
But our stone abilities and methods would have been similar--
Both of us have learned 'developed' stone knapping over many eons.
Both of us hunted and chewed the skins for softening in a similar manner.
Both of us had art and perhaps felt the same about caves.
Would we have been attracted sexually
To someone who was exotically different?
We know now from the DNA evidence
That there were a few who overlooked the differences
And left the fascinating DNA trail we witness today.
All I know is that 4 percent of my ancestral past
Overcame prejudice and dislike to form a 'romantic?' bond.

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.

A Health Nut, Falling? opus 469

So, we are soon, to perhaps again, have a Kennedy in government,
Chosen to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services,
But so different from his family history. His concept of medicine is bizarre.
An opponent of vaccines, wrongly accusing them of unhealth.
In the past, Benjamin Franklin lost a beloved son,
When he decided not to innoculate the boy for smallpox.
He lamented that decision for the rest of his life.

How many will needlessly die, following this intended appointment folly?
After many deaths, will humanity once again right itself?
Why are we, admittedly a restless species, so ready
To be so dismissive of our moderately sane medical legacy?

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.

Email to Doris, a Former German Farm Student Intern opus 473

Hello! Yes Ceilidh (Kay-lee). I knew right away what you meant.
You mean to say you were in Edinburgh and didn't just try Haggis?
Of course the English have a superior attitude towards the Scots--
(Just read a Scottish history which I find very demeaning and angering).
It is no mystery that they put their noses up concerning Haggis.
(I explain its contents in my latest poems.)
(I do understand why a vegetarian would balk at Haggis,
But no excuses, a vegetarian version does exist.)
Haggis has a nice, different taste and with Taters and Nips
And good Scotch (technically not whiskey), it is delicious.
All cultures, generally, have a way to consume more 'marginal' types of meat--
Just consider your Wurst and North American 'hotdogs'.
As with Mexican menudo (soup with intestines) and buche
(Fried intestine, often found in burritos, substituting lengua or carne),
I delight in the multiple textures and tastes which all this gives our palates!
I always have and always will continually experiment in all things reasonable.
No one has ever caught me complaining about any food (not including
monkey brain!!!)
That is why a cook loves to produce for me--no complaints. (Suggestions, yes.)

Well, once again you have been a catalyst for another verbal roll.
Canned Haggis just arrived in the mail, ready for Thanksgiving--
(Here, Thanksgiving is always on the last Thursday in November).

Be lovely and well, Frank.

Pyramid Meditation opus 475

Two followers of the Maharishi of India and 'creator' of
Transcendental Meditation,
Stopped for a day in Istanbul, Turkiye, and shared their craft with us.
I was given a 'mantra' which began my voyage into alpha wave 'production'.
Even hospitalized in Turkiye, I meditated to the point
I 'experienced' levitation from my bed.

Later, on my African home leave, once again, in 1975, I stopped in Guatemala,
Wishing to seek out the ancient Mayan pyramids of the area.
Walking on the trail to the great structures at Tikal,
I noticed large holes in the barrier fences along the trail.
After visiting and experiencing the pyramids in daylight,
I fantasized a night visit to experience a moonlight pyramid meditation.
As planned, I returned after dark, utilized the holes along the way
And quietly climbed the long train of narrow steps to one of the stone
structure's apex.
The steps were formed narrowly, to obligate a climber to remain sideways,
Preventing one from facing straight towards the gods.
Alpha waves flowed freely and plentifully during that brainwave experience!
My memory of that view, flooded with moonlight,
Lives vibrantly in my old, but very crisp past images.

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!

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!

Did Humans Really Build the Pyramids? opus 485

Were the pyramids actually built by humans?
Many have wondered, contemplating the huge stones.
Djoser, pharaoh of Egypt's Third Dynasty, was buried
In the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt.
It has been suggested by researchers
That a hydraulic system was used.
There were two shafts inside the center of the pyramid
In which water could flow in and out.
A pulley mechanism was used to raise the now lighter stones,
Allowing huge stones to be lifted up to 200 feet,
On a moving vertical platform!
This pyramid led the way, first using fully dressed stones,
Rising into the first pyramid shaped structure--
A revolutionary type of architecture.
This pyramid was built at the end of a watershed,
Allowing an adequate (to be further researched) amount of water
To be utilized for such a massive venture.
At the end of the moat is the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure for water.
This is combined with the 'Deep Trench' to form a water treatment plant.
At the same time, this entrapped water could also be used
To regulate flow for 'practical uses and vital needs'.
This combined system and pulley mechanism with a platform,
Was capable of greatly lessening the workload of the laborers.
Past evidence has demonstrated that these ancient people
Used hydraulics for building ports and irrigation systems
As well as, of course, more easily delivering heavy materials.

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 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!

The Romantic Tumbleweed opus 493

The tumbling Tumbleweed--a Western cowboy song
Which many are able to easily humm.
But sadly, and realistically, this innocent plant
Is a voracious non-native invader from Russia.
Tumbleweed seed was brought into South Dakota
In the 1870's by Russian immigrants,
Contaminating flax seed accompanying them.
Millions of dollars have been spent
To attempt to eradicate this ubiquitous weed.
The song romanticises the poetic tumbling of this floral form,
When actually with each tumble,
It is distributing yet ever-more seed.
This physical means of distribution is devastating,
Engineering yet another non-native to spread throughout the West.

Things are not always what they seem until time often passes,
And knowledge with accurate facts becomes known.

Prayer of a Viking opus 498

Oh, dear Odin, if it is the moment to be passed to you,
Please take me only with my weapon in hand,
And that it shall be swift, with little lingering.
The pain bothers me not, it is only
The wasted time, before I am able to face you
And melt into your compassion
And justice over your jurisdiction.

(Written by a modern, fantasizing Viking.)

Did Neanderthals Have a Feeling of Ownership? opus 499

I have now collected a good number of Neanderthal stone tools,
These from an old collection in France--tools 100,000 years old!
I hold each one, and feel how it might have been to skin a Fallow deer.
Many made of flint or chalcedony
Are more or less attractive in color and shape.
Some seem to have been more efficient in their task.
Some feel more comfortable when held, ready for the task.
From this I wonder if, as we might have behaved,
That there were 'favorite' tools, claimed exclusively for ownership.
'No, that is my tool--do not dare touch it.'
Did Neanderthals have a feeling of personal possession?
We now know they collected objects of 'useless' beauty,
Just for the attractiveness of the shell or stone.
By discerning beauty, did these people feel ownership
Of some of their stone tools?

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?)

The LA Fires opus 502

They watched in grieved silence as their church,
Then a synagogue, then a mosque burned to nothing.
Four major fires have ravaged, so far, more than 1200 structures.
Where is their god, to which many have sent earnest prayers?
In our wasteful life of comfort and ease,
Has the voice of god been all around, but has not been heeded?
Surely our collective inner voice has attempted to guide us,
But we are blinded by our votes and present way of life.
Was Carter's then plea, to reduce our use of energy overall,
And our public disdain and impatience with this visionary man,
The very voice which we should have,
Almost five decades ago, wisely heeded?

Those Illegals! opus 505

Are most illegal immigrants crooks and drug dealers?
Los Angeles is now an inferno--already 10,000 structures lost.
Sadly, six with more to come, have lost their homes and lives.
One homeowner, it is reported, remained to attempt to save his home.
He also battled for hours to stop a neighbor's burning home
From spreading to destroy his own.
Exhausted after several hours, he lay down in his house to rest.
Upon returning, he discovered a band of Guatemalan illegals,
Bucketing, in a line, water from a neighbor's pool to stop the fire!
He was overwhelmed and asked them why were they doing this?
This was not their neighborhood, nor did they know anyone.
They simply replied, 'our parents taught us to always do good
And this catastrophe is beyond and above us all for personal safety.'

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.

A Mystery Footprint opus 525

Then 'they' came upon a mystery footprint.
The time in history was between
136,000 and 73,000 years ago.
The print of the walker left rounded anterior ends
With crisp margins and indentations,
Where possible strap attachments met the sole.
The dimensions were quite consistent
With those of hominin tracks;
Probably made by juveniles or small adults.
The prints were most likely from sandals--
A life saver from foot lacerations.
However, so far, no actual shoe remnants
Remain from the Middle Paleolithic,
Which a young, future investigator
May finally come up with, and the clinching evidence?

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?

Origins of Spoken Language opus 533

The first spoken languages probably developed
50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Some hypotheses claim early forms in primal Homo species
May go back as far as 2 million years ago.
Prehistoric languages evolved from
Simple vocalizations to ever-greater complexity.
Modern humans have developed advanced linguistic skills.
This is most likely due to a genetic mutation,
Playing a vital role in the emergence of human speech.
There is a human-specific variant of the NOVA 1 gene,
Absent in Neanderthals and Denisovans,
Leading to spoken language.
All this advance results from a single amino acid change
In the NOVA 1 gene.
As we speak to each other, think now and then,
That this ability may be due to that small amino acid change.

Only Two Sexes! opus 535

Our new (and repeat) president has declared there are only two sexes.
Scientific studies and enquiries show there are many more orientations.
Of course, there is now political reaction
Against these restricted, officially declared dual sexual orientations.
Perhaps history will replicate itself as, for instance,
Occurred in Black Sports History.
Blacks were ostracized from baseball,
So they created the infamous Black Leagues,
After which Whites, upon seeing the potential value of Black players,
And posing Jackie Robinson as the 'change agent',
Blacks are now dominant in the baseball legacy.
Prejudice and hate sometimes melt into a new positive reality.

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!

Three Choices opus 540

Friendly and gentle Canada is now undergoing a tariff blitz
From its huge neighbor to the south.
I do not completely understand all the implications of this,
But I do feel empathy for a country that might have become my home.
It was 1966, during the, now as seen, unjust Vietnam War.
I was studying for my Ph.D. at Cornell University.
Unrest and antipathy against the war prevailed.
I was the leader of the 'Young Friends', a Quaker Students group.
I read and studied profusely everything printed about the war.
I profoundly felt that I was not able to kill another human being.
I applied and succeeded to be classified as a Conscientious Objector.
Oh, what if my draft number, about 370, had been drawn--
What would I have done to maintain my life's dignity?
As I saw it, I had three choices for a major decision in life.
One, I would drive a military ambulance as a non-combatant;
Two, I would go to prison as a non-cooperator;
Three, I would flee to Canada, becoming a refugee.
Time passed by as I attempted to continue my biological studies.
The war ended and my draft number was never drawn.
Fate shifted once again, nullifying my chances of becoming
A citizen of our reasonable, 'sweet', Acer saccharum nation to the north.

Our Human Family Tree opus 544

The human family tree now seems
To be not a single line of ancestors,
But it appears there was a population split
1.5 million years ago and a reuniting 300,000 years ago.
Analyzing modern human DNA shows that one
Of these isolated populations was genetically dominant.
Along the way, humans shared genes
With Denisovans and Neanderthals.
The ancient mixing event 300,000 years ago
Resulted in only about 20 percent of modern human genes
Coming from a minority population.
The larger (80 percent) ancestral population
Contributing to modern humans,
Also appears to have been ancestral
To Denisovans and Neanderthals.
Some of the genes from the ancient minority (20%) population,
Importantly, contributed brain function and neural processing,
Playing a crucial role in human evolution.
Was one of these ancient populations possibly
Homo erectus and as yet an unknown Homo?

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.

Are the Statue of Liberty's Words Now a Cliche? opus 553

With the harsh reductions of the US government,
Orchestrated by the returning executive,
Among so many issues concerning so many departments,
What will now occur concerning our scientific research in all fields?
This tragic move has already been taken advantage of
By several European universities which are
Offering (luring) positions in their still progressive
And edified research programs.
Is this a clear adumbration of the end of the US magnificence
In being the epitome and 'hope' of the human world?
Will we be shunned, avoided, left to rot in our own misery?
Will the French politician be correct to demand
For the return of the Statue of Liberty?

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.

Lexington, Massachusetts opus 566

When studying at Weeks Junior High School (about 1954)
In Newton Center, Massachusetts, I was learning French.
My teacher was Madam Neufeld, a wonderfully vivacious person.
French was my second new language after one year of Latin.
I had changed, after advice that the French would better help in a science career.
Madam Neufeld lived in Lexington, Massachusetts, where she invited me to visit.
I liked her as a sympathetic teacher and accepted her hospitality.
I clearly remember going to Lexington Bridge and the Green,
Where the Revolutionary 'Shot heard 'round the World' had occurred
I also had a very dedicated older, white-haired history teacher,
So my visit to the Bridge was ever more meaningful for my young mind.
Tomorrow, 19 April (1775), will commemorate
The 250th anniversary of the start of the US Revolution.
I am glad I have lived so long to see this day and time
But I am full of worry and anguish for our present and future,
As I am sure they were in those early days of turmoil.

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.)

A 21st Century Book Burning opus 573

Most of us, especially older persons who grew up with books,
Distinctly remember historical films, showing books being thrown into bonfires.
Since the 1400's, when the Gutenburg printing press was invented,
Education and information about the world was multiplied by many factors;
So it was with the creation of organized educational institutions.
Today, the slow 'destruction' (ie 'burning') of educational organizations,
Formerly reaching out to free thought and encouraging individual choices of ideas,
Is peeking out at the adumbrations of a terrible one-sided educational format,
Which will stymie the present, golden-age of knowledge-seeking.
In a democratic, free-thinking world, one must be exposed
To all thought, discuss everything , and freely make up one's own mind.

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.

Blind Devotion? opus 584

Easter Islanders, blindly carved ever-more of their 'sacred heads',
Until all 'needed' resources were completely diminished.
With the creation of our excessively hungry new god--AI--
Will we also inevitably go the way of the now extinct Islanders?

'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.

Fathers' Day (15 June 2025) opus 588

A book recently released, outlined 'The History of Fatherhood'.
During the author's research,
He asked his adult son what makes a good father.
The son's immediate response astounded his father--
'A good father should be funny and give many hugs.'
The author, amazingly, thought for two weeks,
Before he concluded that this described his wife's behavior and character!
Over the years, since the first Fathers' Day, 110 years ago, indeed,
The role of fathers has slowly evolved from a powerful disciplinarian
To a more participating, gentle role of parent.

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.

What of the Pictish Stone Creatures' Orientations? opus 599

Having observed the many Pictish carved standing stones,
Created from about 500 AD to 800 AD in Northern Scotland,
I have often questioned the reason, most creature figures face to the right.
Although there probably is no correct answer,
There could be several reasons just why this had occurred.
Concerning cultural significance, such orientation may have symbolized
A connection to the afterlife or spiritual beliefs.
Perhaps it was due only to a common artistic convention.
Would a symbolic direction represent positive attributes or good fortune?
Perhaps there was a narrative flow or some historical influence.
Right-facing figures might have been part of certain rituals or ceremonies.
Finally, as most humans (90%) have been right-handed,
Their figures follow a flow of the eye from left to right.
Whatever caused this orientation, and without a true written language,
We may never know,
But instead must continue to marvel in their stone-carved figures.

The Intriguing Trilobite opus 601

Six hundred million years ago a modest-sized sea creature
Evolutionarily emerged onto earth's oceanic stage.
This creature was first 'discovered' in the 17th century,
By an Englishman, who noticed a body divided into three segments.
He designated this group improperly, but named them TRIlobites,
Because of the three basic portions of the shelled body.
That name has stuck for this generally well-known fossil group.
Over the 270 million years' reign, 25,000 various species evolved.
Those who are familiar with the wonderful morphology of these Arthropods,
The majority would not be able to describe the ventral side of this creature,
As the lower portion of soft parts almost never were fossilized.
After studying this group for a while,
Curiosity overcame me and I had to investigate.
No wonder only a very few ventral fossilizations have been observed--
There are a mass of legs, two antennae, mouth parts--
Mostly soft structures which normally do not fossilize.
Being a biologist, 'discovering' a new view on life,
I experienced here one of those 'highs of discovery'.
These are the things that can give discerning and inquisitive humans
A feeling of worth and joy by being a thinking and discovering person.

Mimicry opus 610

As a child, I was always fascinated with mimicry in nature.
Flies that evolved to depict bees and butterflies to mimic each other.
There are scores of examples--just get a good book!
As a New England boy, I was fixed on the Monarch/Viceroy phenomenon.
The Monarch caterpillar feeds and survives on milkweed with all its toxins.
The adult emerges crystalis-wise as a toxic adult, flashing warnings of red.
Young birds, et al, soon learn of this terrible taste,
And are severely dissuaded from preying on this deceptively delicious morsel.
Somehow, along comes a similarly red tidbit, but delicious--the Viceroy.
Over time the Viceroy butterfly evolved ever-closer to better mimic the Monarch.
The Viceroy is tasty--the Monarch is not.
Selection and adaptation finally favored both these species.
As my thinking progressed, and just for fun, I looked at human 'mimicry'.
This was not genetic, but rather behavioral mimicry.
Consider the Romans invading the Celtic world with a plethora of red-haired women.
The warriors brought the tales of these exotic-looking females
Back to their dark-haired women.
Soon, red hair dyes were concocted to be equal to that of the attractive Celts,
Thus confirming my thoughts concerning the notion of behavioural mimicry.
Who knows, in addition, what genetic mutations might have resulted from such?
Just a Thought!

(Because of increased scientific knowledge a portion
of this poem is incorrect. See 'Mimicry Refined' opus 619).

A Story of the American Bullfrog opus 618

American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus, used to be Rana sp.)
Were introduced into California in the late 1800's (1896?).
The main thrust was to form a basis for a new food industry!
In addition, thoughts featured the pet industry and recreational purposes.
During the Gold Rush, miners ate up to 80,000 Red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) a year.
This nearly wiped out that native population of frog,
Thus, the concept for a new food industry in the State.
But hungry miners are not a model to be used for a less hungry general population.
Frog legs were commonly consumed pre-1900 and thousands of pounds
Were even annually harvested and exported throughout the US.
When the demand for frog meat was not realized,
The captive frogs were released into the wild, causing ecological havoc,
By disrupting the delicate balance of California's ecosystems.
Female Bullfrogs lay clutches of up to 20,000 eggs, twice a year.
These frogs consume a wide range of prey, including
Aquatic eggs, insects, fish, birds (including young ducklings) and small mammals,
Some of which are native species, already threatened or endangered.
Bullfrogs are carriers of chytridiomycosis which has devastated amphibians worldwide.
Their presence has led to changes in nutrient cycling and water quality.
Bullfrogs are so adaptable, that it is difficult to manage control.
Just the cost to the State attempting control has been very expensive.
On a positive note, these frogs are now used in research,
Studying developmental biology, physiology, and ecology.
When introducing a non-native species of any kind, one must always be aware
Of the unintended consequences which may result.

(Note: I first looked into this introduced species,
Suspecting that the Calaveras Frog Jumping Contest
May have been the source for this introduction,
But the Contest was just part of the whole phenomenon.)

Mimicry Refined opus 620

(See previous thought 'Mimicry' opus 608)

Well, there are advantages and disadvantages to living so long.
For me, the subject of mimicry appears to be one.
A wonderful naturalist friend caught this in my last Mimicry prose-poem,
Namely, that I grew up learning the Monarch butterfly was toxic
And that the Viceroy mimic was 'spared', while still being a tasty morsel.
This type of mimicry is called Batesian mimicry.
In the 1990's, it was discovered that the Viceroy was also toxic.
I had not caught up with this new knowledge,
Thus erroneously so wrote in the previous 'Mimicry'.
This other classification is called Muellerian co-mimicry,
Where, in this case, both species are mimics and both are toxic.
This results in an even stronger defence for the two species.
To make things more complicated,
The Viceroy is mimicked by the Queen and Soldier butterflies,
Both of which are also toxic! In this region, Monarchs are rare.
Will wonders never cease?

Do Voters Choose Their Politicians OR Do the Politicians Choose Their Voters? opus 626

The simple thought is that, of course, voters choose their candidates.
In a perfect world, that is what ideally occurs.
But there is a device, disparagingly named Gerrymandering*--
The politicians' manipulation of voting boundaries,
Resulting in the reverse--the politicians' determining their voters.
See what Texas Republicans are now doing
To create five new Representatives in Congress;
And realize the reaction of California--using the same opposing manipulation.
And then multiply another Gerrymandered state, and then another.
We are no longer governing for the good of the people,
But spending all our energy to simply gain power,
With little time to govern wisely for the people.
A tragedy, indeed: A manifestation of insatiable human territorial greed.

(* Gerrymandering was named after Elbridge Gerry (pronounced originally with a hard G),
Massachusetts governor in 1812, who signed a bill, creating a partisan district in the Boston area,
in the shape of a mythical salamander, thus creating the portmanteau 'Gerry-mander'.)

Katrina Devastates New Orleans opus 637

Katrina--20 years ago today. (29 August 2005).
A storm avenging a city built below seabed.
A city surrounded by inferior levees.
People receiving inadequate warnings.
And many others who would have no way to retreat.
The transport, rescuing people, but refusing their pets.
Water rising so fast, even a rooftop was inadequate. 
Corpses bound to poles to prevent their washing away.
Many dispersing to neighboring states,
Where soon thereafter were once again struck by Hugo's deluge!
How can we live? Where might we go?
Is our manner of living actually the very cause
Of our ultimate downfall?

Usurpation of a Family Name opus 643

There was a family immigrating to the US,
Many decades ago, when Ellis Island was in vogue.
They were sitting on the hard-wooden benches,
Listening for their surname to be called out,
But which seemed never to be announced.
Suddenly a name commenced to be called--
Repeatedly.
No one responded. The seconds dragged on.
The father of the family rose and claimed that name.
Procedures evolved and the family 
Had a new name and a new nation.
Was this right or wrong?
What happened to the family who may have belatedly arrived,
Finding only that they were disqualified--
Sending them back to their nascent nation?
Were they escaping hardship or persecution?
History will never let us know.
Presently, the 'borrowing' ('thieving') family
Jokingly relates the story as a family triumph.

In these difficult political days for our country,
Would the harsh, present regime find them out,
Deporting them without a single humanitarian thought?
Again, we may never know, 
But such illegality has occurred throughout our history.

'Daddy' opus 644

My, there he is, sitting in his own egocentric self portrait.
Civil War hat and black shirt, with burning Chicago painted behind him--
One of his many cities, he was as president,
Benevolently to nurture, guide, and care for, as all before him.
'I love the smell of deportation in the morning ...'

I remember we voted in a president; lowering food prices;
And one who would not touch our vital Medicare;
One who aspired to earn a Nobel Peace Prize.
In reality, just what have we unleashed upon ourselves,
And all of the world around us?

Benjamin Franklin's Family Bout with Smallpox opus 645

I am relating this from a long-line of memory.
A British wife-nurse of a diplomat in Turkey,
Gained access to a harem and conversed with the women.
She learned how women combated smallpox
By inoculating in a gash in the arm, smallpox pus from a diseased person.
This was a primitive manner of vaccination (variolation).
Eighty percent of those participating survived.
Back in England she introduced this brutal, but effective preventative.
British doctors began to accept this idea--even though she was a woman.
But accepting this idea, initially, resulted in most doctors rejecting the method.

Benjamin Franklin in America was confronted with this 'cure' for his two boys.
He waited to inoculate his four-year-old, Francis Folger, being 'under the weather'.
Francis died on 21 November 1736 and this was greatly lamented by his father.
In Franklin's time 20 percent died--the remaining lived and survived!
The odds today are greatly better (90 percent), yet we have doubters.
How long will it take for us, once again, 
To truly learn the basics of medicine, without politics?

Solitary Confinement opus 648

California prisoners protested to eliminate solitary confinement.
This, for a human, is the worst punishment of all.
As in a family where purposeful isolation is employed,
The punishment results in anger and rebellion.
Humans should not be ignored nor isolated.
It results in nothing good.
Try to compromise, understand, and talk things out.
So many family rifts would be lessened to nothing.
An international example is the Palestinians 
Being robbed of their lands and originally isolated in prison camps--
Now, isolated in an open air prison with limited rights,
Along with warring persecution, all in the name of religious history.
Equal treatment would have lessened the problem to nothing.

A Possible Fate opus 650

S***, I M** N** B* A*** T* S**** A* I A***** H*** B*****...
Is this the fate of our future?
Remember the bravery of our forefathers and mothers.
I wish, still, to live in the land of the Free.
May 17 September 2025 not be a date in infamy!

I rest my case. Frank.

Does a Building Height Depict Who We Are? opus 672

When high buildings were first able to be,
The church steeple was the most blatantly high.
Then powerful families erected the tallest towers,
Manifesting their political power over the masses;
Followed by our modern times,
When corporations competed for height and capitalistic ego.
I, as a Humanist, am not advocating a return to the past,
But perhaps we all should take a pause
To contemplate where we are and from whence we have come.
Perhaps we need more of a sensible balance
In our pursuit for the meaning towards our honest existence.

Pigeons. Also Called Rock Doves (Pigeons) or Feral Pigeons opus 675

I introduced racing pigeons to my little educational farm (1980's),
So I could demonstrate their remarkable homing abilities.
Andrew D. Blechman has written a book called 'Pigeons',
With a subtitle:  'The Fascinating Saga of the World's
Most Revered and Reviled Bird.'
The common pigeon is an Old World (Europe, Asia, N.Africa) species of bird.
It was introduced to the New World by European settlers 
In the 16th and 17th centuries.
Being called a Rock Dove defined its original roosting and nesting habitat as cliffs.
The great buildings of Europe and later the Americas,
Were the coveted new nesting places of this species, commensal with humans.
They were associated with humans for perhaps 10,000 years, 
And selectively bred from 4500 BC..
Rock Doves have four main plumage types: natural, checkered, dark, or brown.
They were trained and utilized by the ancient world for communication,
And especially for vital messaging between warring parties.
They were used by Hannibal.s military; by Ghengis Khan in his vast empire;
The Egyptian pharaohs announced the Nile's annual flooding;
The Persians used them to maintain control over their great empire;
And, of course, they were vital during both WWI and WWII.
Pigeon racing has been practiced since the 19th century in Belgium.
Of course, as with most creatures domesticated by humans,
They were selected for large, edible carcasses (the King Pigeons). 
The King originated in the US, during the 1890's, crossing four older varieties:
The Duchess for grace, the Homer for alertness, the Maltese for style (and compactness),
And the Runt for body and size.

This is a creature which has shared life with humans, 'almost forever',
And as a result, has been genetically altered for many human-determined tasks,
Including the 'task' of eliciting just plain pleasure from its commensal partner.
Also, don't forget the publication in 1859 and Darwin's use of pigeon breeding,
To demonstrate, abstracted from human animal breeding systems,
The selective breeding system in Nature which 'created' the various species.

To a Mentor opus 679

Benjamin Franklin died at 84.
I have now reached that same number.
I still have so much to accomplish
To even half equal what that master diplomat
Gave to the world and his fellow persons.
May I be spared for a while.

History Reveals Itself! opus 683

Nice talking with you after the ProBus meeting. After speaking with Richard, I now know I have an historical connection with you!

On my nascent attempts to start Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy many years ago, I spoke with your mother, who was a firm supporter of my efforts, which have now flourished with success. This is a greater reason that we might work together to name our Field Station after your parents!

Please contact me and let us have a meeting together. Your mother was so wonderful with me, giving me the courage to face the original daunting challenge I faced.

Many thanks. Please email me or just plain call me!

Frank Maurer. 530-219-4477.

Bellwether opus 687

Managing a small farm, sometimes with sheep,
I have always been amused by the term 'bellwether'. 
I know one would initially think
Of a bell ringing to warn of the weather.
Today, we use it for someone or something
That leads the way or points out a trend.
Historically, though, the usage first appeared in English
In the 15th century, remaining to this day.
In Middle English, 'Belle' meant a ringing bell
And 'wether' was originally a male sheep,
Later to become a castrated male sheep.
This animal was designated to be the leader of the flock.
By using a castrated individual, rather than an 'active' male
May have designated, more accurately, the flock's position.
(This is my own speculation as a farmer and biologist.)
The sound of the bell was, of course, 
To locate the flock's whereabouts. 
It is interesting how word use shifts through the ages.

The Penny is Gone opus 692

In February of 2025, the president ordered the end of minting our penny.
Now, both businesses and customers calculate,
Whether or not the 'rounding up or down' to the nearest nickel,
Give them a miniscule profit or loss.
To mint a one cent piece, costs the government 3.7 cents.
It costs 14 cents to mint each nickel--when is their doomsday?
The latter's fate to come, may be a while;
The ceasing of the minting of the US one half cent was in 1857!
It may be a while until we witness the demise of the nickel:
We humans love to hold on to our beloved coins..
I do remember holding on to my pennies, though,
To push them into their appropriate date and space
In the collectors' 'book' my father provided for me.

From Where Does He Come--'van' or 'von'? opus 698

His name was Ludwig van Beethoven.
He was born in Bonn, Germany, 1770.
If one looks carefully at his name,
One sees 'van'.  What is all that about?
Shouldn't it be 'von'?
'Von' in German, means 'from'.
But wait, 'van' in Dutch also means 'from'.
So the question is, 'from' where came Beethoven?
Most of us have never scrutinized his name in this way--
Just lovers of the written word, I guess.
So, if one checks out his genealogy,
One discovers that Beethoven's grandfather
Came from the Netherlands;  thus the 'van',
And it stuck with him on all his manuscripts!

Uncle Bill, a Young NY Farmer During WWII. opus 707

My mother and her family grew up on a farm in Watkins Glen, NY.
She had a younger sister, Georgia, and a little brother, Bill.
While I was struggling as to what to do during the Vietnam Conflict,
My mother, Elizabeth, told me a story about Bill, 
During his young years on the farm during WW II.
Because so many men were taken for the war effort,
Women took over this effort at home.
These women built weapons, took over manufacturing,
Transported planes within the US to their final domestic destinations,
And, of course, had to also manage their families and children!
In spite of the fact that many women took over the farming,
Many male farmers were required to remain on their farms
And also continue farming, along with their women counterparts.
My mother related to me how humiliating this was for Bill,
Who was one of those farmers who had to remain at home.
Whenever he needed to go to town for supplies,
He went on his business, ashamed to be seen.
I believe he never got over this, and when he dealt with me,
During my struggles as to what to do about my stance
To not fight and declare myself  a Conscientious Objector,
He disowned me completely and would never interact.
He was my favorite uncle, and the blow came heavy.
Our relationship never recovered, and the two of us
Will pass on completely unreconciled--
One aspect of my life, from which I will never completely heal.

The Making of a Stone Carver opus 709

My first trip with Nora, my late wife, to Ireland and Scotland,
Unfolded some adumbrations of my past ancestry.
I had done some genealogy before the trip for Nora's paper presentation.
I knew I went back to the Picts and the first Scottish king, Kenneth MasCalpine.
By actually being in these countries, it solidified my whole ancestry.
I attended seminars on the Pict's stone carving and woad tattooing.
(Woad is a European herb related to the mustards.
Woad is also a blue dye made from its leaves.)
When I returned home, I concentrated on learning to carve stones.
I found Mr. Rukala, the mason for the Sacramento Cemetery.
I and a young friend drove across the valley from Davis to Rockland.
Rukala met us, said he had twenty minutes for the lesson,
When he immediately began demonstrating with mallet and chisel.
As he proceeded, the main point became ever-clear--
Carve 'always away from the weak point or line'.
With this principle constantly in mind, one can rarely go wrong.
He presented me with a few old, huge chisels--never used--
And invited me to grab some stones on which to practice.
Then, he departed and we were left alone!
We drove home, picked out a large sandstone piece,
Originally found at Lake Berryessa and started in.
This first and quite well done carving, if I do say so myself,
Was of the Rhynie standing stone,
Depicting the fourth century salmon and Pictish Beast.
The instructions were perfect and the carving remains in my home.
To reach out with my craft; I left examples in several craft stores.
This was not a huge success, because I could not 
Match the price of the laser-made items.
I decided to participate in a local Scottish Games festival.
People began purchasing--everything went to my QR Land Trust.
An artisan came by and said, "I have not seen you before",
And invited me to another festival farther up north.
That started things off, developing to 15 festivals, 
Which I attended each year. 
The festivals covered Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington--
A large commitment, but all a labor of love and fun.
I was showered in fliers, newscasts, brochures, and invitations.
A slow, but incredible fulfillment of reputation and devotion.
And so it went for many years and several hundred stones!

My Timeline opus 710

A wonderful preschool life with loving, caring parents and a little brother, John, and a littler sister, Susan.

Hyde School Elementary, Newton Highlands, MA (1946-1951). (I loved school and started piano and in 6th grade, double bass.)

Weeks Jr HS, Newton Center, MA (1951-1954). (Met students from other religions and began my love of Shakespeare. Orchestra for real.).

Newton (N) HS, Newtonville, MA (1954-1958). (More and better orchestra, personal relationship with a supreme being, love, readying for college.)

Antioch College, BA, Yellow Springs, OH (1959-1964). (New subjects and thoughts, orchestra conducting, Cooperative academic jobs--whales, a museum job, teaching in Switzerland-- end of formal religion.)

Cornell University, Ph,D., Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology, Ithaca, NY (1964-1968). (Dinner with Hans Betha, inventor of the hydrogen bomb; field work on Microtus; learned to fly.)

Robert College, Istanbul,Turkiye, Prof Vertebrate Zoology (1968-1972). (Became department chair, field work in Israel and Libya, learned cello, composed music, travelled around Turkiye.)

U. of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, Lesotho, Africa, Prof Vertebrate Zoology (1972-1975). (Bred Basotho Ponies, rescued a baboon, learned bee keeping with this vicious species.)

U, of Uppsala, Sweden, Researcher (1975-1977). (Did research on the gentler European Honey bee as well as animal ag food processing, learned Swedish, ice skating, drank from royal horns.)

Created the Environmental Education Farm Foundation, Davis, CA (1977-2024). (Learned farming, farmers markets, raised ground-raised turkeys, chickens, and ducks, and aquaculture.)

Created the Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy, (Napa, CA), Davis, CA (1989-present). (Learned about Conservation Easements, fundraising, passed the legislation for the State Grass.)

Pictish Stone Art hand carved petroglyphs (1995-present). (Learned a completely new art form. did custom orders, learned even more Scottish and world history, gave lessons, exhibits.)

Conducted several outreach voyages to Scotland, one of my natal ancestral nations, to be with the people, and carve in situ and present stone petroglyphs to Parliament and to other organizations.

'Poems and Thoughts' poetry (2020-present) (Through new writing, I reviewed my history and world thinking; became more philosophical, viewing my past life; leaving a record for my children.)

Danish Postal System Gone After 400 plus Years opus 712

After more than 400 years, the Danish Government Postal System has ended.
The utilization of this system has dropped 90% in the last few years.
Now one must mail things from a private store--no longer a post box.
Electronic communications have starved the old-fashioned system.
Now holiday and birthday greetings will mostly be compulsively electronic.
(By the way, any unused stamps can be returned for face value.)

Our postal system, about 200 plus years old, created by Benjamin Franklin,
Is teetering towards the same fate as that of Denmark.
Will I witness this occurring in the short remainder of my life?
Will I no longer be able to march into my Post Office, announcing,
"I am here to buy stamps to support this institution"?
Will I no longer be able to add a turkey feather to my epistle,
Augmenting the mystique of my correspondence?
Historically, the pending passing of an era, which I will always hold dear.

Author's Page opus 713

After ten years abroad, he started the Environmental Education Farm Foundation, Davis, California, and ten years later, founded the Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy, a land trust, saving 2000 acres in Napa, California, and joined it to the University of California Natural Reserve System. He also spearheaded the preservation of two, 3000 acre parcels in Wyoming, giving shelter to wildlife and specifically the Greater Sage-Grouse. Frank wrote the legislation for the Official State California Native Grass. He went on to also pass the State Grass for Wyoming.

Maurer became a stone carver, because of his Pictish ancestry, using only a hand-held chisel, and donated stones to several countries, including Ireland and Scotland, as well as Cornwall and Wales, districts. His stones are in 37 state archives throughout the US, named the State Tartan Stone.

Frank created his 'Poems and Thoughts' in 2000 and to date has written over 700 prose-poem works, reflecting his varied life experiences. Maurer is now 84-years-old and has a sharp mind and uncanny memory. He is listed in Who's Who in America and in Who's Who in the World.

Frank lost his brilliant wife, Prof. Lenora A. Timm, in November 2016, after 31 years of a symbiotic, productive marriage, and has two surviving sons, (Christine's and his offspring), Pierre (52) (his wife, Julia) and Basil (46) and grandchildren, Jayden and Rowan. (Also in memory of Jayden's brother, Chance.)

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. 

Christmas, 2025 opus 716

The Eve gently shifts to that Day.
I am awake changing my pads.
My body diurnally leaks--
It shall continue until I die.

My mind floats to the events and thoughts
Of just today--now yesterday:

A photo of us three children,
So long ago, tucked by the tree.

Elaine's text of her partner's cancer.

Waiting for even a quick call from grandson, Jayden.

Pleased to have conversed today with son, Pierre;
Pondering the section of my living room ceiling,
Which tumbled down during the last rain.

Wondering how my calf is doing in this storm.

Observing my Bettas, gulping air each three minutes.

Enjoying the Mozart Piano Concerto, K 502, now on.

Wondering when I will be tired, so to sleep.

So tormented about politics these days.

So sad about some relationships, not gone well.
Joyful in those that have, indeed, succeeded.

Listening to my furnace monitoring its temperature level.
I try to use as little propane as possible.

Sipping my water drink, touched with Anise.

Thinking of this 'Thought' I am composing.

Viewing the Libyan Desert Glass on my table,
Alongside the jar of New England Sea Glass.

Still wondering when I will be tired enough to sleep.

Oh, perhaps now--My thoughts transformed to Dreams.

The Christmas Bird Count (A Christmas Remembrance) opus 717

The US Audubon Society, this year, 126 years ago, 
Began the Christmas Bird Count.
The winter season was chosen to count bird populations,
Which are settled in for the winter, and more accurately counted.
These 'amateur' data gathering efforts aid scientific understanding 
Of bird population dynamics.  
As a child, birds were a major group on which I focussed.
Starting with many avian observations in my home yard,
I grew restless to explore beyond my half acre homestead.
I learned about the Audubon Christmas Bird Count 
And gained permission from my parents to join a count,
Which unfolded for me on the Massachusetts coast.
Sea birds were all unfamiliar to me and I drank in all the new species.
Many years later, I began the count on the Quail Ridge Reserve,
Which Nora and I labored so diligently to create and see flourish.
On pondering this wonderful past, I began to calculate
That, now being 84, and having joined my first Count at about 12,
(Before the halfway mark of its existence!)--
A bit of a shock, and then pride welled within me
To realize I had been participating in such an historical flow of events.

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.

Man of the Earth--New Year's Thoughts opus 726

I have lived as a Man of the Earth,
Sharing the elements 
Of the world around me:

Searching for wood for the fire,
Hunting with a bow in a tree,
Dressed my own game and fish,
Fishing, casting a net into the air,
Harvesting flowers for the market,
Tapping the maple for sweet sap,
Building dams for aquaculture,
Listening to the cackling of the Canada Goose,
Learning the ways of the African bee,
Collecting mushrooms in Turkish forests,
Shot Guineafowl for my African safari,
Hand carved stone from the Earth's plentiful supply,
Was tattooed to join my Pictish family,
Repaired nets to seine my ponds,
Sun-dried figs for a winter's supply,
Sauteed crickets to supplement my protein,
Produced wine from the wild dandelion,
Taught children the ways of Nature,
Bore the kilt with the pride of tenacity,
Conducted music and played bass and cello for pure joy,
Fenced with the foil next to a Russian Master,
Marvelled at my five digit hand,
Opposed warfare of all sorts,
Enjoy the morphology of my female counterparts,
Salvage nourishing corn cobs from a dust bin,
Bred my own rabbits, horses, and dogs,
Have attended school with great eagerness,
I shape my own bandages for my great wound,
Surround myself with Desert Glass and Neanderthal tools,
Labored long, preserving space for wild things,
Communing with fellow creatures--domestic and wild,
I have resisted death from TB and leukemia,
Founded an Educational Farm Foundation,
Created the Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservancy, 
My wives, Maggi, Christine, and Nora were well chosen,
I have fathered two great singular boys.

Such have been my doings as a Man of the Earth.

We the Nation opus 727

How is it that We the Nation
Can allow one man to compulsively and illegally,
Slowly but steadily, dismantle our democracy,
Even yet on her 250th anniversary?

The 6th--A Day of Shame opus 732

No matter how one considers it,
The violent entrance of the Capitol
Of a nation attempting to do general good,
Does not breed feelings of companionship.
To demand a cryptic reason for such,
Only adds to the weakening of such a nation.

The Additional Value of Postage Stamps opus 741

I have delved into the Numismatics of our coins,
And have discovered wonderful history as told by them.
The minting of coins throughout our history,
Portrays US history that might today otherwise be overlooked.
Tha loss of the Danish postal system
Manifests adumbrations of another loss of history.
More obviously than coins, stamps (philately)
Reflect pictorially what a nation holds valuable,  
In that this mini-art form speaks out for a nation's values.
This important minimal art portrays 
Human heroes and important landscapes.
If and when our postal system is modified or eliminated,
Yet another quiet depiction-recording of our civilization
Will be sadly halted, just as the Egyptian petroglyphs
Were finally and abruptly cut short 
With the loss of the utilization of the art of stone carving.
(Originally, before stamps, recipients paid for a letter,
But with so many ships sinking, the sender started paying.) 

Will K Cars be Our New Coffins? opus 742

Having returned from Asia, Trump declared his love for the tiny, economical K car.
Prominent in Japan, would these tiny cars fit into this country's traffic?
Offsetting economics, they are small and slow;
Placed into a rushed society, having many accidents.
A huge trailer-truck attempting to slow suddenly behind a smaller, slower car,
Could most likely result in a catastrophe of a crushed car with its driver.
Our high-speed freeways might introduce a new category of death.
With such decisions, we must consider the adage of water and oil.

First Shakespeare, Now Plato to be Outlawed? opus 746

Just this last summer, the governor of Florida,
Decided to ban Shakespeare for anything that is 'racy or sexual'.
This is to 'protect students from anything untoward'.
Now, we have a beloved, southern university, Texas A and M,
Which is banning Plato's 'Symposium', which explores sexuality and gender.
The Symposium's consideration that there may be, possibly, three sexes--
This, brought about from the University's ban on teaching 'race and gender idiology'. 
Conservatives want to go back to the classics (of which Plato is one!).
This would deviate from the teaching of Eastern philosophy.
The irony is that Plato (as do many conservatives)
Favor rule by strong leaders and only for a 'certain' type of democracy!
Do these people read and understand what they advocate?
Now, some high schools and a US university are banning and censoring!
Are we truly, now, still, actually in a real world of research and truth?
I have lived as an academic and also as a peasant farmer-- 
If this continues, I foresee the demise of our enlightened and very productive nation.

The Gandhi Influence on Me opus 749

On my way home to California (about 1977),
I stopped in New Delhi, India, to view Gandhi's death bed.
He was assassinated on the grounds of Birla House 
(Museum of Gandhi Smriti),
Now a national shrine for the nation.
I had already read many of Gandhi's writings.
The simple, small room where he died
Was stark for the world's loss of a true humanitarian.
I lingered there, quietly for a long period of time.
I believe that experience remained with me personally,
Goading my thoughts to act during the Civil Rights era;
As well, and more profoundly, during Vietnam,
After much agonizing, I declared myself a Pacifist.
As a child, I retreated from or even ran away from conflict,
And now, as an adult, I have always sought out negotiation.

Does This, My Dream, Reflect the State of the Present World? opus 751

I was parking my white Ford van in which I travelled,
At a remote area by a large lake to explore.
I started hiking and soon was in an oak forest,
But destroyed in swaths with the harvesting 
Of surface sandstone boulders.
As I explored in the moonlight, I was hot, so unclad myself,
And left my clothing in a pile to which I would return.
I had left my car keys, driver's license, and credit cards.
I explored farther in the forest areas, and then the ruined surface areas,
Which had torn-open deep, red, rich soils open to the sun.
I tried to return to my clothing, but they were not there!
I searched farther and farther away, but to no avail.
I passed small shacks, some tumbled down and others inhabited.
I passed workers who were not outgoing, to help me.
I had somehow gotten onto a lower, lakeside road,
Whereas I had formerly been traversing a higher, middle-level road.
I just could not find my vital keys, enabling me to leave.
I woke at 0640 Hours and for a transition-moment,
I felt I was coming out of the 'real world' and into another.
I lay there confused and attempted to gather my thoughts.

Was the large lake a symbol of Lake Berryessa around which
I had worked so long to preserve its neighboring habitat?
Was the open red soil a reminder of the highway of my youth,
That caused such destruction where we fished as children.
That my distraught and tears caused the family to go home?
Were the silent workers symbolic of how divided our world is?
Were the shacks symbols of our world poverty,
As well as depictions of all the ancient ruins I had witnessed?
Was I lost, mimicking the mass of homeless people around the world,
Caused by needless war, and territorial gain and control?  
Were the loss of my keys and my crying out, demonstrating my lack of ability
To help solve the surrounding enigmas that stubbornly manifest?
I dream in color, which makes it all the more realistic!

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.

An Omen opus 755

He is upsetting the entire world,
And it is not Jesus nor Mohammed.
We must be on alert for what may come.

The Winter of Our Discontent opus 759

I have experienced much in fourscore and four years.
I saw neighborhood children beating on pans in 1945.
I heard radio reports featuring jet sounds over Korea.
I watched TV documentation of the downfall of McCarthy.
I remember a school newsreel, showing Jains sweeping as they walked--
I recall, then, researching the all-encompassing Jain 'Golden Rule'.
I also recall, from those same newsreels, the Palistinian prison camps. 
I experienced my graduate schooling, interrupted by the Vietnam War.
Because of that war, I was guided into Pacifism--
I could not partake in an unjust conflict and kill others.
We are all experiencing an unknown future, molded by the Climate Crisis.
Thus we all are an integral part of the Sixth Extinction.
And recently we have democratically voted in 
A government, the truth from which, most of us are now unsure.
"We are going to deport all immigrant criminals",
When the reality is, that even innocent citizens of color are nabbed.

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'.