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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Philosophy

My Dilemma opus 5

A god-concept is not needed to understand?

There is my dilemma!

Key to Success opus 6

An ever unfolding dynamic life
Leads us to ever-new revelations.
How we evaluate and react,
Is the key to the Game of Life--
Whether or not the result leads to success
Is manifested in the application
Of one's foresight, wisdom, and experience.

If only we could somehow learn this in our youth!
Some learn; some do not.

What all Life could be opus 8

Finely chopped parsley
Sprinkled over the face
Of pudding-like rice soup.
How soft and smooth is its texture,
Slipping over the tongue,
Hot,
And taken down with a gentle swallow.

Laughing here and there,
Chatting now and then,
Longing up and down.

If life could be
So soft and gentle soup.

Revelations of a Birdfeeder Assumptions Corrected opus 15

For forty years, my small farm has been a wildlife refuge.
Among the passerines which flock to my habitat restoration,
Are the striking (for a sparrow!) White Crowned
And its companion, the duskier Golden Crowned.
For years I observed the two species foraging together.
It appeared that the White Crowned greatly outnumbered the other
And I assumed the Golden was the subservient one,
Then, I added a small feeder to my window
And, oh, what was revealed when competition
For seed in a small space was created.
My assumption that the White Crowned was dominant
Was shattered by observing the actual dominance
Of the Golden, constantly defending its feeding position!

I extrapolated this revelation to other life observations.
How wrong we all at times might have been in life
With assumptions which have led us to totally incorrect conclusions.

The Connecting Limb opus 20

After many decades I returned to my natal town.
I walked here and there to see what had changed.
My original house was a certain destination.
Two houses to the south on Lake Avenue,
Was a gently lower sloped area behind the old gray Daugherty home,
Where we climbed trees--mostly maples--Acer saccharum
I sought out one tree through which we often climbed,
To see if the arboreal aberration of my youth still existed.
I looked and looked upwards, but did not see the object of my visual seeking.
It was a limb with a comfortable circumference
From which we hung, marveling simultaneously:
This particular limb was connected on two ends,
Bridging itself between two trunks!
What anonymous growth act caused this strange structure?
Two trunks bound by a contiguous limb?

The fascination was more than a passing thought.
All us boys continually enjoyed
Touching that strange limb, just for a moment.

Our Sun opus 31

Up early this morning.
Past by the easterly-facing window
And was flooded by that orange ball
Which has warmed me for 81 years.

My thoughts flowed back through history
To all the controversies which this
Golden Ball, our source of life, has created.

"Our Earth was created by our loving god
And there is no doubt that it must be
The center of the masses of spinning celestial bodies."
Any who opposed such a holy concept
Were condemned, or excommunicated,
Or threatened with death (or worse);
Horrible results for a gregarious creature.

Back to the present, still viewing the yet ever-rising sun,
I realized how fortunate I was
To live in a time when such thoughts are now absurd.
But the human skepticism continues
For many new scientific discoveries
Which severely challenge our belief systems.

When will tolerance and thoughtful evaluation
Oust the tenacious myths, plaguing our human minds?

Hidden Libraries opus 50

Each of us holds volumes of memories
Which are either lost in death
Or, perhaps, could be preserved through various recording methods
So that an enhanced life is held for others.

Likewise, there exists another library held immobile in each of our cells,
Revealing a deeper and faraway past
Which expounds itself through our DNA,
Manifesting our juxtaposition with perhaps great historical events!

Lifespan opus 51

There are those who say we must stay longer.
Ah, the secret desired to maintain for each of us a longer sojourn on our planet.
Are there implications for such desires?

There are, of course, vital elements held in each living body
Which in a 'normal' system are regularly recycled to the next generation.
If we increase the length of life for us
And for our dogs and cats and horses,
Will we be depriving the following generations
Of certain life vitals which yield good health and well being?
Consider this as well as the would-be increasing number,
Hoarding space and elements for our own pleasure.

Perhaps we should be considering more deeply the life we have now
And not desperately vying for yet more time.

Fundraising: Raising Remunerations for a Good Cause opus 53

How many years I have toiled raising funds--
Telling many about the plight of this and that:
A myriad of creatures, their habitats, and needy students who study them.
How does one go out there and ask?
What makes one wish or dare to do such?

The Cause; -- of course the Cause.
If chosen well, there is no shame,
But rather joy that another sees what I see
And feels what I feel and offers something towards the goal.

If one strives for something positive
And is able to bring another along,
There is no shame, no reluctance, no hesitation.
And in the end, I hear an angel gently crying "bravo"!

My Wonderful Tree House opus 57

The huge White oak, Quercus alba, stood waiting in our yard.
It was almost begging that a little boy
Would hoist up 'prefabricated' framing
To finally form a well constructed tree house!
It was to be my hideaway after a day at school.
I sometimes even slept there overnight, much to the chagrin of my parents!
To ascend, a pulley and a rope system lifted me
With its board seat through the first stage,
Then, with railroad spikes carefully driven into the trunk, to complete the trek.
These devices ultimately protected the tree inhabitant
From any enemy marauder attempting to invade,
Yielding to the occupant, bliss, thirty feet high up in the air.

Foiled opus 59

The unopened roll of aluminum foil lies on the floor--
Was a reminder to have festively wrapped the frozen blocks of meat--
Butchered from a favorite, but old, Swiss Highland steer--
The packages--freezer preserved--in cold stillness in the barn.

Unopened foil, because, out of sadness,
I could not muster the fortitude to rouse myself
And travel to the San Francisco Christmas get-together.

Too many memories.
Too many disappointments.
Too much pain.

The noise of the revelry would have devastated me.

Fire on the Christmas Tree opus 60

Switzerland in an old wooden alpine building. Christmas time (1964).
(Almost one hundred years after the US Civil War--
Irrelevant here, but important to remember.)
The whole school had to wait outside--
Preparation was festering behind the doors.

Then the word came that we may enter.
No lights, except for the fiery glow
Of a Swiss Christmas tree with hundreds of small, white candles.
What a striking, glorious sight--
It set one's heart on fire.
Then singing in the glow, adding to the mystery.
("Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen--")
It was a Christmas always to be remembered.

Mercury Dimes, Remaining opus 62

Four Mercury dimes--1941 to 1945--lie packeted together.
Ready to give as a little Christmas gift to my grandson.
I had originally thought he would have enjoyed
Exchanging numismatic thoughts about coins together--
A subject to possibly bind our friendship.
But sadly, he will not talk nor visit.

My days, at my age, are running out.
Perhaps I shall never have such fantasized joy.
A decade or more of pending possibility:
One can only wait and savour those things that do remain.

Communication Parameters of a New Generation opus 63

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

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

16 January 2023, Davis, California Sun; on a day predicted for more rain! opus 71

A years-long drought-ridden California is suddenly flooded.
So many days and weeks receiving the bounty
Of atmospheric rivers streaming over the State.
All those prayers for rain were answered with a plethora!

Does this show that prayers are powerfully answered from above,
Or that there is uncontrollable randomness
In what we wish might be an orderly world?

A Jester opus 73

I have always wished to be a jester--
A clever jester who could guide the king
With such veiled honesty
That I would not lose my head,

But with such an advisory tact that the outcome
Would benefit the king and those in his kingdom.

It would be nice to have a few more jesters
Who might be heeded by our 'kingly' leaders,
Guiding us to a long reign of peace in our troubled world.

Comprehension opus 90

A friend said to me
'It is so wonderful
You work so hard to save the planet!'
I shot back, 'To save the planet.
May be too much for me alone,
But I am continually guiding.
To teach others how they might think.
And understand the biological process.
And geological phenomena,
So that as our 'fate' nears,
We will truly comprehend why we are surviving.
Or tumbling down into ruin.'
Thus, we might end the constant, meaningless cry,
'Why did god do this to me?'

Exchange between two Philosophies opus 114

F. May I read you a Shabbat poem or is that considered work?

A. I avoid calls during Shabbat. Too tired now, will call later.

F. Hello. Yes, I know about calls on Shabbat, but I was 'urged'
   To read you a 'Shabbat thought' written on that day,
   Concerned with our lethargy to aid the Earth and thus us.
   I seldom break the 'rules', but this was an act of civil disobedience
   With a good motive. Remember, even Palestrina 'illegally'
   Slipped in dissonance now and then, despite the church!
   (Lower case 'c' on purpose.)

Rest well, dear friend.

F.

Humanism opus 119

Religion reigns supreme throughout the world.
Whose god is stronger, more benevolent, more just?
We also feel free to kill and conquer to ensure the survival of our philosophy.
"That group does not have our saviour in their lives
And we need to involve ourselves in their lives
To enlighten them to comprehend our text of truth!"
What encourages people to be obligated to conquer minds?
To convince that their belief is definitely the way to a truly free death,
To allow one to slip into the final level of supreme existence?

But there is another way to enlightenment:
The love and respect of all life around us;
Understanding that there was no miraculous, godly creation,
But rather an evolutionary struggle of adaptation--
To fit into the great mosaic of life,
To survive successfully and replicate
To reach a positive reproductive level.
That is the basis of all life on our planet of life--
Oh, and nothing more is needed for all this incredible productivity!

The Octopus opus 121

A creature with incredible intelligence.
Eyes that rival those of many creatures in the world:
The ability to recognize different human faces;
Acrobats, with the "dexterity" to escape through small outlets;
Possessing small pigment sacks, allowing complex color changes.

But the profound and sympathetic question is--
Why with potentially toxic bodily hormones,
Must these fascinating creatures die within one year?
If octopuses were to live to 80 years as we do,
Might they be able to take over the world
And possibly improve the place of our constantly conflicted species?

The Human Third Age opus 125

It has been studied that older humans are basically happier than the younger.
Why is this true? Older humans look at a limited time span
And are more content with what they have and have accomplished
Than the younger set, who are concerned about an unknown, long future,
Where they have much less control.
This principle needs teaching to the older generation,
Who could occasionally be boosted by a 'futurist' shot in the arm,
And to the younger, who need to calm themselves,
By living sometimes in the comforting, occasional 'Now'.

Greatness opus 126

A person cannot try to be great--
From their works, it naturally occurs.

What is Sacred? opus 151

Some will not eat fish with no scales.
But catfish is advertised as a near perfect meat source.

Some will not eat sacred cows.
But beef is a main protein source for the world (unfortunately?).

Some will not eat the pork of pigs.
But the special white meat is the 'beef alternative'!

Some will not eat horse flesh--thanks to a Papal decree by Pope Gregory III
in 732. (Leviticus also rules out eating horse meat.)
But the French and much of the rest of the world savour this flesh.

(USA - horses are still slaughtered for food, but on Mexican and Canadian soil!)

The flesh of dogs (and cats) are desired in many parts
And thousands of both are 'needlessly' euthanized in a starving world.

But what about the possible 'saviour' for our future protein source?
Is insect protein kosher? inedible? gross? unmentionable cuisine?

Might we reject a food source which may tip things towards a reasonable balance?

The human brain owes its increased size, most likely to the discovery of termite 'flesh'.
Why does the West reject the very thing that gave them their 'brains'?

Is all this just a human comical farce?
Why all the rules to demonstrate allegiance and membership?
Could there be a Humanistic approach to a rational life?
Caring for all life, but we must still eat--and what?

Caring for all life--the definition of Humanism (but there is no meddling god!).

'Doubting' Thomas opus 156

We all (well many of us) know the story about Thomas, the disciple;
Jesus returned to their midst and they were aghast and subsequently believed!
Well, except for one--Thomas who asked to touch the wound.
Religious folks label this action as one of doubting,
But another mind might retort that it was just an act of empiricism!
Was this the first recorded example of scientific empiricism vs religious belief?
Perhaps we might realize a world where both are equally acceptable,
Each within its own limits.

The Veterinarian's 'Hippocratic Oath' opus 170

I had a brother-in-law who, urged by his mother, became a veterinarian.
The rest of his sibs, as well as his father and mother
Were in the human medical field.
After a time, he concluded that because he was able
To decide which animal would live or die,
He was personally obliged to forsake animal medicine and shift to humans.

I pondered this decision for many years and decided to investigate
The so-called Hippocratic Oath vs the Veterinarian's Oath.
Such a profound difference, dealing with a dog or cat or cow vs a human!
I invite you to research the two oaths,
But I would like to point out some variations of each.

For vets: 'I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills
For the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, etc'.
'I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping
With the principles of veterinary medical ethics.' Etc.
Veterinarians fulfill different roles: dealing with pets, dealing with herds for food,
And dealing with animals that are part of terminal scientific research.
The responsibility to prevent and relieve suffering
Can look significantly different in these varying situations.
Did you know there was a variation of the USA oath used in Canada?

So now for the Hippocratic Oath, the original of which has been modernized.
There have been many modernizations--including a change for 'I will not use the knife...'
No surgery in the early period around AD 275!
Did Hippocrates actually write that first document? Several scholars question that.
Many variations obtained and several 'original' authors have been cited.
In Nazi Germany, medical students did not take the oath,
Although they knew the ethic of 'nil nocere'--do no harm.
In the 1960's the Hippocratic Oath was changed to require
'Utmost respect for human life from the beginning', making it more secular,
Not in the presence of any gods, but before only other people.
'I will remember that I remain a member of society,
With special obligations to all my fellow human beings,
Those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.'

For veterinarians, their oath is to take care of animals,
But the serious 'human obligation' is obviously missing.
The many variations of the Hippocratic Oath dealing with humans,
Necessarily, are 'our-species-focused obligations and duties'.

I guess, as my brother-in-law did many years ago,
One has to consider the absolute obligations towards creature-animal vs human-animal.
How 'pure' is the decision that one must make towards the life of another?

Alive! opus 197

Have you ever just stopped, looked around, took a breath,
And felt a rush of joy to know you are indeed alive?
As humans, we are seemingly the only animal
Which can contemplate our own death;
We are able to remember the past and ponder the future.

Further, we are able to joy from the scent in the air,
Which emits a sweet earth-smell, drawn into our nostrils;
We have a rush, while viewing a field of golden poppies;
Our heart pounds, when viewing a herd of stampeding bison.
Recall such experiences and realize how very special it is to be alive!

A Thought from the Dalai Lama opus 203

"Do not confuse happiness with cessation of pain."

The Question opus 206

How many innocent human lives in conflict are worth losing,
To preserve a political ideology, a religious system,
A so-called sacred or holy area on our planet,
A scientific hypothesis or theory, or an accurate understanding
Of human biology?

Perhaps to answer this, one must consider
Who is asking, where it is asked,
And just when, considering all accompanying implications,
A questioner dares to raise such often-sensitive queries.

Music To My Ears, I. The Early Days opus 210

Since I was tiny, I always had music in my life.
My mother played the old upright piano
During the day at times and later, to put us to sleep.
At five, I started piano lessons with a neighbor teacher.
I advanced some, even recording a duet,
"The Happy Farmer" with my mother.
Mrs. Winkler, married to a Swede who sold knicknack stuff,
As near as I remember, from his car, was my teacher.
She was stiff and formal
And I soon decided at six or seven years to stop.
My mother told me, Winkler had said I would never play music again!
In the meantime, I discovered at six
A big, deep cabinet my father had hand constructed for my mother,
In which were classical 78 record albums--
Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, and perhaps Wagner;
Large albums of three to five 78 records--six to ten sides with complete works.
I played them all over and over again.
Once, when I was deep in thought, musically,
My mother came by and said, "Why don't you go out and play?"
Another time she came by and asked, "What are you thinking?"
I seriously answered her, "I am contemplating death."
(I had raised and butchered rabbits from the age of six,
So I knew the 'birds and bees' of rabbits (and humans!)
And how to ready a rabbit for the pot in 20 minutes--
I got faster 'as I aged'!)
At ten years old, I attended dance school with Mrs. Cohn.
I always sat near the trio of men who talked with me--piano, sax, and drums.
In sixth grade at Hyde Elementary School,
They needed an upright double bassist.
I had been given a 'Seashore Test' to check musical prowess and ability--
I may remember it was administered to my whole class.
Well, the music teacher approached me to join the orchestra and play bass.
We had an hour and a half lunch hour between sessions.
Instead of going home for lunch, I practiced by myself
And after one half hour, I walked home, two blocks away,
Lunched and walked back to school.
This continued in Junior High School, when I finally got my own instrument.
It was a big, old, very dark heavy bass,
Which had been, not delicately, reconstructed.

In High School, I went to a private music school for lessons--
My mother drove me and the bass, four miles to the school each week.
My teacher was Mr. Spinney, an older, dark haired,
Very soft spoken man, whom I respected very much
And from whom I learned techniques and fingering.
(He helped prepare me for the school's annual concert--Grieg's piano concerto.)
After about three years he told me I was ready for a more advanced teacher.
He suggested a bassist in the Boston Symphony!
I was about to graduate and leave for Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio,
So I did not follow that advice--who knows what that might have led to!
I left Newton, Massachusetts, and my first wonderful girlfriend,
Seta DerHohanessian, an incredible flautist, whom I loved dearly.
I will always remember my first date, when I drove my parents' car to Seta's home.
We, with others, played the Bach Flute Concerto in B flat.
I was in heaven, with her and being allowed to drive alone--
My wilder, younger brother, John, was not allowed to drive until after 16!
(Seta and I lost track until 30 years later, when we met during my 50th HS Reunion.
She was a year older, so I actually attended two Senior Proms!)

One outstanding memory was when Donald March, HS orchestra director,
Allowed me to conduct the orchestra for some piece, which I remember not;
Yet another moment of being in musical heaven.
I was indeed very content with those early musical years
And, indeed, with almost every day of my youthful process, becoming an adult.

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'.

Text Exchanges--A Place to Stay in Dublin opus 218

Text Exchanges--A Place to Stay in Dublin.

She asked:
Where should I stay in Dublin?
Do you know a place to recommend?
Looking for pub with grub and a bed.

I responded:
I stayed in a rundown back room,
Before I left for the north.  F.

She retorted:
That'll do. That's a Poem.

I again:
Good. W an intro, that will be in print!
Thanks.  F.

She concluded:
Small poems came my way like acorns fall
When the time is right.

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?

Our Sun-Star opus 224

It is November at 11 AM in Davis, California.
The thermometer on the north side of the house registered 55 F,
While the south side directly in the sun measured 90 F.
Such a huge difference! (Even though not read correctly.)
What would we do without our Sun-Star!
If one's mind wanders from the past into the future,
The horrible thought of a Nuclear Winter without the sun
Would freeze one's mind into a possible chaos.

Nature AND Nurture opus 229

We receive our ontology,
Phylogenetically, through our parents.

We are what we eat.

We become what we behold.

So much to learn, so little time.

Grief Unveiled opus 242

I have experienced grief several times during my 82 years--
A brother John, was only 20, a victim of a hunting shooting,
Where the unknown shooter shot in the air with no backing;
A father, his age at only 57, worn out from childhood rheumatic fever,
Which manifested its final blow from a weakened heart,
After testing high altitude breathing equipment during WW II;
A wife, Maggi, driving exam results from the University
To me in the field for proofreading and correction,
When her topheavy Land Rover overturned on a washboard dirt road--
The collision gently broke her neck, leaving no bodily mark;
A dearly beloved grandson, died in a terribly horrible car crash,
The horror shared with two companion boy friends, also dead;
A wife of 31 years, who died with a body riddled with cancer--
A great loss for me and her surrounding world.

I have never cried or became angry,
But rather have created a hand created marker,
Or created an endowment for students in our names together,
Or written narratives extolling their contributions to us all.
This type of grief behavior has been labelled as instrumental grief.
Intuitive grief is shown through emotion,
Such as crying, anger or outright emotional behavior.
I have, until I learned about these differences,
Thought I had not properly grieved.
It is a relief to now understand that I am not 'cold hearted',
And that many other fellow Homo sapiens, similarly grieve.

Procrastination opus 247

Procrastination might be said
To result from laziness.
But the hesitation to take action
May bring about a pause
So that thoughts accumulate
And yield a more positive result.
To simply abandon something completely
Could be finally credited to good sense
Or perhaps just to cowardice.

Is Humanism a Solution? opus 277

Humanism is a thrust towards 'truth' for all humanity,
As is Feminism a similar thrust towards
Treating all human sexes equally.
The dogma that 'we' are the perfect truth,
Or that 'we' must exist because
There are so many adherents, for so long,
'When examined carefully, do not reach
The aspirations of most thinking people.
Humanism is an approach to life for those who wish
To live with intellectual integrity, based on reason,
Evidence, and a desire to do and be good,
Not interfering with people's rights
To their own beliefs and freedom of expression.' *
This is as long as groups are treated with tolerance,
Using no violence on either side.
There is no deity that lies in wait to chastise or punish us.
It is only we who would then chastise ourselves when appropriate.
Humanism also includes absolute caring and consideration for all other life--
To coexist and understand other creatures' actual evolutionary function,
And not simply conclude, without thoughtful consideration,
That some might be undesirable pests,
Thus caring for ALL life to thrive together on our originally very balanced planet.

* The God Argument, A,C, Grayling.

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.)

Our Elders. To the Young Ones Around Me opus 289

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

Some General 'Rules' to Ponder. (Written With B. Franklin in Mind.) opus 307

A large monoculture is a dangerous thing.

Tolerance ultimately leads to peace.

Trial and error in biological systems
leads to continual, ultimate successes.

Following only one philosophy
can lead to the loss of unknown experience.

One must always be aware
of the limitations of the living system.

Happiness is not contentment
and joy cannot be continually experienced.

Restricted standards in biology
can often destroy the required variation for survival.

With only one, DNA based system of earthly life,
how could there ever be one ultimately 'special' life?

Humanism is the understanding and reverence for all life,
without an interfering supreme being.

By destroying your environment,
you are destroying yourself.

Without sex, life would be just a bunch of independent clones.

Without religion, early rulers could not
have well-controlled large groups of 'subjects'.
Perhaps such is still the same today?

A moderated, ritualized competition 'for the girl',
Might lead to a safer conclusion, as with many other life forms,
just as a good parasite should never kill its host.

No matter under what circumstances--
testerone, belief, and a resulting conflict
always lead to human tragedy.

Throughout the universe,
water may be the ultimate limiting factor.

Liquid, steam, and ice are the three forms of water.
How fortunate for many earthly forms of life
that the solid state is less dense than the liquid!

For every action, there is a reaction;
that includes chemistry, physics, and human emotion!

Without language, human emotion
would be expressed without a rainbow.

If heat did not rise, our first modes of flight
would have been impossible.

Without evolution, most niches for life
would have been unutilized.

Oh, Dear Southern Alabama opus 310

Our Southern states maintain their infectious friendly cuisine and manners.
Sadly, they hold onto 19th century-thinking concerning several subjects.
Specifically, here, is the question, when is a human, really a human?
The Alabama Supreme Court has now ruled
That a frozen embryo (a fertilized egg) is a child!
Since when could we ever freeze a child?
Since when is a frozen, unattached embryo, (an 'extra uterine child'),
And not within a female uterus, ever be considered a human child?
One of the repercussions, of course, is that 'childless parents'
May no longer be enabled to have a child!
Blind religious edicts lead to human tragedy,
When juxtaposed with the present, technological world.

Science has been developed to yield a life more 'disease free',
As well as a life with reduced mindless toil.
Here, science has allowed human couples, unable to conceive,
To be able to have a possible and healthy pregnancy.
This certainly is a clash of modern technology and continual archaic thinking.

A True Philosopher opus 311

One can best be a true philosopher
Only at the conclusion of one's life
When there is sufficient material
To vent the truth.

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.

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 Tragic Separation by War opus 352

The two of us were not anywhere near the war,
Raging fiercely and cruelly,
The rightful cause being justified by both sides.
One of us is a devout and practicing believer,
While the other is a Humanist, historian,
Devoted to all life with no god.
They had schooled together, performed music together,
And then lost track for many activity-filled decades.
One chose the military as a doctor (for refuge?) during Vietnam.
The other fiercely opposed the war, declared a pacifistic stand,
Ready to be a 'noncombatant', go to prison, or flee to Canada.

At their fiftieth High School reunion, we met again and even later,
At the capitol of Rhode Island, when the second
Was presenting a hand-carved 'Tartan Stone' to that state.
Communication began once again in earnest,
Until it happened--the Gaza-Israeli War.
Because of our backgrounds, beliefs, philosophies, and life outlook,
Suddenly we were not able to comfortably communicate
And at 80 for both, we were drawn apart,
Much as had occurred in our Civil War,
Where, brother against brother, father against son,
And mother against daughter's husband
Divided once united and steadfast relationships.

Humans, unfortunately, go beyond their fellow creatures
Because they think--creating philosophy, politics, and religion--
All which can divide humans and of which
Other creatures know nothing thereof.

(Ok, you got me on the territory argument, if you wish to diverge.)
(That's another 'Thought' coming out soon!--
'A Mammalian (Human) Territorial Flaw'.)

Are We Really Following the Correct Philosophy? opus 366

We are privileged with a star, we call the sun,
Which maintains light and temperature to evolve and sustain life.
As a result, we inhabit a 'blue planet', rare in our solar system.
As thinking beings who have developed competing, elevated philosophies,
To attempt to explain our sojourn on our special planet,
Why is it that these elevated thought processes
Have at times done nothing but create conflict and competition?
We need 'reverence', enabling a phylogenetic long-term
Peaceful coexistence of our species.

Changes opus 373

As we grow and evolve through life,
The child becomes the young adult,
And this develops into the man or woman.
As this manifests, a previous stage is not erased,
But augmented with experience and wisdom.
If one is fortunate, the wonderful previous
Childlike characters potentially now in adulthood
Still peek through to soften
The harsher challenges and realities of later life.

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.

Coming to Terms with Hell opus 398

I was six years old and freely moved through my neighborhood.
My basic territory was one block long.
My address was 301 Lake Avenue, Newton Highlands.
Across the street below the opposite houses, ran the old steam engine line--
Later to be converted to cleaner electric MTA street cars!
Out of my house and to the right all the way, almost to Walnut Avenue,
I met one day a playmate named Sparky.
We were on the sidewalk, greeted each other,
When suddenly Sparky came out with, "You are going to Hell!"
I was young, confused, and didn't know what to do.
Well, of course. a six year old goes back to his mother.
What was said to reassure me remains in clouded history,
But I have somehow survived eight decades!

Perhaps Sparky's declaration got me to think--
I heard church bells a year later and asked to attend Sunday School;
Went on through high school and early college days,
Deeply exploring and partaking in religious thought;
But after meeting sophisticated biology and evolutionary theory,
I did and have now evolved in philosophy towards a benevolent Humanist--
And unless there is a great change in mindset,
I shall meet the next stage of life in mental comfort.
Thank you Sparky?

The Homeland opus 407

The great flaw of many humans
Is the desire to return to their origins.
Unknowingly, the neighborhood has often altered,
Yielding an early dream into a continual nightmare.

Solitude opus 425

There are many (most?) of us who feel overloaded with tasks--
And many (most?) fantasize for a schedule with lots or total free time.
Then there are those who have almost all total free time,
And, bored, desperately wish to have a schedule and tasks
Thus feeling relevant and productive.

The real choice is to understand and then be creative, managing one's time.

The Afterlife opus 428

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

What a Difference an 'E' Makes opus 476

It has been determined that 'demure'
Is the chosen word for 2024.
This word has been used, but more,
Has been most often checked out for its meaning;
Thus being 'quietly modest', 'reserved', or 'serious'.
The final 'E' causes the 'u' to elongate to 'you're'.

The 'twin' with no final 'E' is demur,
Meaning 'to make exception' or 'object'.
The absent 'E' causes the 'u' to sound like 'purr'.
Without these 'rules', an unfamiliar speaker
Might not sound out a difference,
And thus might not understand the huge difference.

How many 'tiny' differences' in life
Do we encounter and navigate,
Often without a thought as to just why.
THAT is indeed something to contemplate.

A Last Stage opus 517

Two days into a five-day rain spree.
No rain for all of January--a dry time.
But now all has suddenly changed--
Dark skies, cold wind, and a leaky ceiling to boot!
My days now--especially these presently are so different
From my past, busy and very productive life.
Sometimes it is hard to fill my hours,
But of course that is not really true;
I tend to my Betta fish, and feed lizards,
Check email, finish the mail returns, and have a bite;
Organize farm duties with Jessie, my 'man',
Then write what is in my head--
Juxtaposed with needed calls to help save my planet.
Evening comes and I can't bother anyone--too late for a call.
Such a different life from what I formerly had--
Farming, markets, fishing (with seines), flower harvest,
Educational boat cruises, and walks at Quail Ridge,
Constant fundraising, and creating an ever-new brochure.
How many more things, I might be able to recount.
My mind spins as I were at 40, but my body slows.
It is a dilemma I must absolutely get through,
But it is uncomfortable to be at all impaired.
I must make the best of things and do the best
That my weakening body allows.
I must stay in good spirits, not to turn off
My younger interactees.
I am full of life, but know that the end is slowly pending.

A Quick Thought to a Swiss Friend Late at Night opus 518

An active, restless, so far, night time
With many thoughts of my days in der Schweiz.
May I burst from my aging cocoon
To return once again?
I am but bound to my life here--
Not so bad on the whole;
And more or less at peace.
So it is, wisely, at the end.

It is Saturday opus 531

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

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

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.

A Fortunate Old Man opus 546

I have many memories of 'good' and 'bad':
It is all relative.
I have reasonable health.
I have warm or cool shelter--
Depends on the season.
I have nourishment--
Recycled, roadkill, entomophagous, or deluxe.
I have activities to keep my mind astute--
Conservation efforts, writing, fundraising,
Discourse with those who wish to engage;
Tending and feeding my animals--
From fish (Bettas), to bird (emu),
To reptile (Bearded Lizards), to mammal (Angus calf):
I have them all--my constant companions.
I have occasional friendly visitors
Who gift me bits of wonderful food
And to some, in return, I donate some remuneration
For various student and conservation causes;
But, most profoundly, my two boys (men),
Who check in on me, converse with me, help me,
And keep my faculties honed to sharpness.
It could be far worse.

Dealing With Death opus 557

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

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

Assault on Democracy? opus 567

So many drastic changes (executive orders) in fewer than 100 days,
Which already concerns and brings fear to much of the population.
In fewer than four years, which will now unfold,
What chaos and disorder might be then fixed in our government
And in the general cosmopolitan population?

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

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

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.

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?

A Note to Harriet opus 603

From our core values, we create our purpose.
Has one's life been sometimes a empty hole of basic meaninglessness?
Are you concerned about things around you which may cause spiritual unease?
With a drive of life, difficult tasks become fearless and almost effortless.
Be with fellow humans who know more than you,
And always know, when things are too much to realistically bear,
Modify the effort, but do not necessarily give up.
Activity, no matter how small, maintains our will to live
And basically keeps us alive, so that our purpose remains alive.

Another Dream Remembered opus 604

Once again, I came out of a vivid dream, most of which I recounted:
I was in a grassy suburb with nearby buildings.
She--an Indian Asian looking lovely woman--just appeared.
We walked closely and talked together. I felt wanted and at ease.
Until then, I explained, why I had not held her hand--
I wanted to be sure, before exhibiting such in public.
I gently kissed her neck and felt her soft arm.
Then, she left to do something--I know not what.
I walked up and down over grassy hills nearby.
She did not return.

As I woke, I realized the 'She' was Seta, my first high school love.
Upon further thought,
Because of the smaller nose than that of Seta's (she was Armenian),
This must have also been Nora, my late wife.
Both of these women have been indelible,
But have, indeed, forever left my life.

Hope is the Enemy of Courage opus 613

At age 19 while attending Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio
A very intellectually stimulating academic institution,
I came across a book, 'Faith of a Heretic',
Written by a Yale Philosophy Professor, Walter Kaufman, in 1959.
The subject included not to hope, but to get in and do it.
My whole life seems to have followed that philosophy.

As a child I wanted to build a treehouse 30 feet high in an oak.
And I did so.
As a 10-year-old, I had a 'nature club' for 'younger' kids!
It went well, considering my tender age.
I wished to continue my father's abandoned large vegetable garden.
And I did so with my little brother.
I wanted to have a large pond for my huge carp and snapping turtles.
And I dug it.
I wanted to earn a PhD at Cornell.
And I earned it!
During my teaching job in Africa, I wanted to learn beekeeping with the aggressive African bee.
And I carefully learned the art.
I wished, back in the US, to start a polyculture educational farm; the Environmental Education Farm Foundation.
And, laboriously, I managed and did so.
I decided I must save California wildlife land and created the Quail Ridge Conservancy (Land Trust).
And it, with lots of effort, manifested itself, eventually becoming part of UC Davis.
I learned of the languishing of the creation of legislation for a California State Grass.
And after four years it was passed.
I worked in Wyoming to protect 7,000 acres of wildlife acreage.
And after 20 years,it was accomplished.
I learned I was a Pict of Scotland and established myself as a stone carver.
Lots of effort and work to do so!
After Nora, my late wife passed, I decided to create and manage a UCD Student Endowment.
And, believe it or not, it is functioning.
I wished then to create a 'Poems and Thoughts' website for my children to remember my life.
And now it consists of 580 plus poems for their, and others' thinking.

What I am saying is that the old philosopher's words were always there for me to manifest;
From childhood to near death, I have attempted to meet the challenge of my passions.
My advice to the next generation is to do such--
Never demur in your true passions and accomplish what you desire and must do. May it be good.

Wisdom Out of Africa opus 668

'Out of hatred for the cockroach,
The ants voted for the insecticide--
They all died, including the housefly
That didn't vote!' (African Proverb)

Today, we might say--
To throw the baby
Out with the bathwater.

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.

The Visionary opus 686

The visionary is so far ahead,
That he or she is always behind.

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 Good Book--Genesis opus 723

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


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

Genesis.           Chapter I.

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

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

The Good Book--Book of Wisdom opus 734

This is my second try at the Good Book,
The modern secular bible with a Humanistic approach.
I have had this book sitting near me for several years.
I liked the title, but it took forever to open it.
Now that I have, I am quietly overjoyed.
Speaking of wisdom, as a boy and now as a man,
I was always disturbed by, especially young men,
Who declared that they 'hated school'.
I occasionally, even now, meet grown men saying the same.
School for me was the place 'to find out'.
I have often said to my students, that especially in higher education,
We here, accrue and organize facts and knowledge
In order to add to possible human wisdom.
Rejecting school to me was rejecting exercise for the mind,
As rejecting 'phys ed', as many also did,
Was rejecting the vital need for exercise for the body.
Without these things, we can experience obesity and blank minds.
This book has much to say and I give you a touch now
With Chapter I, accompanied by a few verses,
Simple in the beginning, and waxing with more complexity: 
(Each Chapter of Wisdom is echoingly finalized with this verse 21.)

1.   Give your ears to hear what is said
      and your heart to know what is meant.
2.   Let what is wise rest in the casket of
      your mind, to be the key to your heart.
3.   He whose works exceed his wisdom,
      his wisdom will endure.
4.   But he whose wisdom exceeds his works,
      his wisdom will not endure.
5.   The mighty man is he who
      conquers himself.
6.   The rich man is he who is satisfied
      with what he has.
7.   The honorable man is he who honors others.
8.   But the wise man is he who learns 
      from all men.

21. The question to be asked at the end
      of each day is, 'How long will you
      delay to be wise?'

At the conclusion of perusing (here meaning 
'To read over attentively') the Book of Wisdom,
I understand more in depth the difference
Between knowledge and wisdom.
So now in these trying and difficult times--
'It is time for all of us to do the good that is needed.'  

Meditations opus 736

A young couple stopped in Istanbul from India about 1972.
They had studied with the Maharishi,
Learning Transcendental Meditation.
They taught, giving us a mantra; each.

Meditation stayed with me, I reaching into it now and then.
The next real moment was in Egypt.
I was in the Great Pyramid with its long corridors of stone.
Being in a pyramid, I found a corner 
And produced my alpha waves
(Remember 'pyramid power' in the 70's?)
The moment of exultation was great,
Augmented by the largest of all pyramids.

Then a sojourn through Belize 
And its modest Maya pyramid structures.
Quietly returning to the area after dark,
I climbed the high, narrow steps of one to its summit.
I sat there with the moon, looking over the dense jungle,
And my mind, catalyzed by my mantras,
Sent alphas through me and the surrounding forest. 
I was at one, blending with encompassing Nature.

My alpha waves have given me balance through time.
How fortunate to have been on the path so long ago,
With those two tarrying teachers travelling home from India.
They have given me a levitation of my mind
And an aura which joins me with my world and my existence.

The Softness of the German 'Trost' opus 745

I was chatting one evening on the phone with Marianne,
A Swiss-German speaker; her mother tongue.
Somehow the word 'Trost' came up and 
She could not remember its English meaning.
After some discussion, we sussed out its meaning.

COMFORT -- general relief from distress.
CONSOLATION -- for something that alleviates.
SOLACE -- a formal poetic term, 
                   finding peace in religion, nature, or art.

When spoken, this word is soft in its feeling and sound.
There are those who claim German to be harsh--
Not true and if spoken from the heart as if to a lover,
Elicits passion, and depth, and solace to the listener.
This is a word to be spoken by any and many
And if correctly understood, would bring peace 
As well as compassion for the world.

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!

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.