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Poems and Thoughts by Frank Maurer

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Geology

Dinosaur Bone opus 68

I collected a piece of a dinosaur bone while in Wyoming.
I am quite sure it was part of a large creature's leg.
One could see the small pocking of tiny cells.
There were no rings, so surely not petrified wood.
Small riverlets of blue wended their way across the surface--
Certainly indicating the remnant from a once living animal.

How haunting and mind-blowing to be holding such a rock;
A part of a former being, dating back many scores of centuries.
Just holding it, put my own existence into exact perspective;
Truly, I have existed for only a speck of time
During our wondrous earth's geologic history.

Rare Earth Metals opus 134

Here we go again!
Now on the seabed, rare earth metals
Have been 'discovered' in brownie-colored muck.
The question, those who are aware are now asking,
'Just how might these elements be harvested
Without destroying this whole seabed ecosystem?'
Once again, our earth most likely will be compromised
As a result of the 'needs' of the Runaway Species!

As Pogo stated in 1970, commemorating the first Earth Day in S.F.,
"We have met the enemy and He is Us."

Water Levels--Rising and Falling! opus 178

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

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

My Text Encouragement to One, Fearful of Caves opus 221

Hello. No need to enter the cave:
Sit, contemplate, and revel
In the beauty of its entrance--
Then learn of its geologic formation,
For an intro-spection!  F.

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!?!

Water, Water Everywhere, but For How Long? opus 448

When I returned to California once again in 1978,
The purpose was quite different in that I was to be a small farmer.
The way I looked at my environment was indeed also quite different.
I already knew that this state had at most very few months of rain
And that agriculture depended mostly on its many aquifers.
These waters had remained eternally deep under the Earth's surface,
Until about the early 1900's when the first deep-water wells invaded below.
I also knew that California had no regulations
On well construction and the numbers thereof.
Thus, it struck me deeply during my first forays into ag land,
Witnessing field after field being watered with a torrent of sprinklers.
My first thoughts went deep down to the unseen aquifers below,
Wondering how long this kingdom of agriculture would survive.

Thankfully, 10 years ago, to most, the invisible
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was passed,
Which started to regulate the amount of water taken out
To match that which comes in.
Lands taken out of agriculture are now harboring
Native species of plant and animal, as well as buffering flooding.
More recently, added to this was the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program,
A support plan for the transition toward a smaller irrigated footprint.

The great question is, of course, are these efforts far too late,
Or will those in charge be able to make definitive decisions--
Or will food demands, economy, and political party mantras
Overwhelm reason and empirical evidence guiding outcomes,
Driving our way of life, as we know it, to simply collapse, unnecessarily?
I have witnessed the loss of historical forests in eastern Turkiye
As well as loss of the water table in now parched lands of India.

Life Adaptable! opus 452

We live on a planet that rotates and is tilted in relation to its star (sun).
This, of course, creates day and night, climate, seasons,
And incidental weather.
Basically, then, we survive in a world of circadian rhythms.
'Circadian' means daily cycles within our 24 hours.
Our planet originally had a four hour cycle,
Until slowed down by the newly formed moon.
There appear to be many 'Goldilocks' planets which are 'tidally locked'--
In other words, have no rotation--
Rotationally frozen by the near proximity to their sun.
The conundrum created is a planet with eternal night and day.
Can life survive with continual darkness or absolute light?
Could there be a migration from dark to light, allowing rest and regeneration,
Creating a 'circadian' clock in space instead of in time?
Is sleep or rest actually needed for life to survive?
On our own planet, life occurs in complete darkness
In caves, in the sea depths, and within our own bodies!
Additionally, sea life thrives here in complete darkness
Next to boiling, chemical vents.
There are a myriad other ways that cycles could be created,
But the main point is that relentless life may be found
In almost any type of unpredictable situation.
We must be ready for the most bizarre of things to be,
And also to have our very comfortable theologies be shattered.

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!

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?

There's Carbon dioxide, But What of Methane? opus 595

There is great awareness (by many, but far too few),
Of the slow metamorphosis of our atmosphere
From increasing CO2 levels which is causing warming
And thus melting of our great ice sheets
As well as dangerous acidification of our seas.
But now consider, with warming of our planet,
The slow, but steady melting of the tundra,
With simultaneous release of methane from the frozen organic matter.
(Yes, we also observe methane escaping from gas wells,
And many other 'leaking' sources about the planet, as well.)
Sinking roads and villages are becoming obsolete, demanding abandonment.
Moreover, when one descends underground
Into the experimental deep pits below the surface,
The immediate stench of decaying material is more than evident.
This will be the future great challenge for the human population.
Will the O2/methane balance remain in favor of O2?
Be reminded of the methane (reduction) atmosphere of the past,
And how stromatolites overwhelmed all life,
With their need for CO2 and their exhaled O2,
Shifting our atmosphere to what we know today.

Libyan Desert Glass opus 634

As a boy, I lived in Newton, Massachusetts, about 10 miles from the Atlantic.
Occasionally my parents would take us children to the beach.
Much less frequently, I would walk the beach and find pieces of worn glass.
Later, living in California, I would travel to towns 
Where waste was formerly and sadly dumped into the sea.
Amongst the old pots and pans, batteries, car parts, and electronics,
One would find pieces of water-worn bits of glass of many colors.

Now, with an added interest in meteorites and tektites,
I have even later learned of Libyan Desert Glass, 29,000,000 years old.
 
These random glass chunks of usually yellow, but sometimes dark or green,
Were discovered in one fall in 1932--the specimens I have were collected in 2008.

So, just how is this glass of the desert actually formed?
Well, we have great heat and sand--a suspicious combination.
And why is this glass found only in this particular desert?
By chance, a meteorite fell in the Libyan Desert;
Hot material; which on contact, melted the sand, forming glass 'blobs'!
A second hypothesis states that glass was formed from an airburst.
It appears this is one of the very few areas on a desert, except the Sahara,
Where this has serendipitously occurred.
What a wonderful find to enchant those outer space lovers.
If this enthralls you, look up how a tektite is formed--
So subtlely different than the formation of this wonderful Libyan Desert Glass!

A Follow-up on 'Number Five' opus 635

I previously wrote a note about Rowan's (grandson's) birthday.
When he arrived to celebrate my birthday,
He immediately pulled out a small lava stone.
He said it was from his bar-b-que and was for me.
The party continued on, until I reminded him of his lava stone gift.
I asked if he would like to see one of my big red lava stones.
He responded affirmatively and I said it was by the porch. 
Astoundingly, he gave a quick nod and ran to that destination,
Knowing exactly where it was.
Barely being able to lift it, he moved it out into the open.
He looked at it, rubbed it, and then sat on it.
I asked him if he would like that stone in exchange for his.
Immediately he responded and posed for photos, sitting on his new gift.
Thus leaving a happy grandpa with a little lava stone
And a five-year-old boy with more than he was able to carry!

Deep Sea Mining of Polymetallic Nodules opus 636

The new potential of deep sea mining 
For ever-more-needed metals is looming large.
The seabed in places is littered with polymetallic nodules,
Containing nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper.
Mining firms claim the deep seabed could provide 
A major new source for these minerals.
The nodules could be retrieved with an uncrewed collector--bus size,
By crawling along the seabed, hoovering up nodules, 
Which are sent up in a miles-long tube to a waiting ship.
Are there environmental impacts with this method?
Supporters say it will cause less disturbance than terrestrial mining.
However, many marine scientists and policy makers disagree--
Sea sponges and anemones grow on the nodules;
Sediment plumes from the mining may harm creatures used to clear water;
Noise pollution could interfere with animal communication and navigation;
Yet unknown species may be eliminated before identification.
Hundreds of researchers have called for a pause because of a knowledge gap.
Some companies like auto makers and tech firms
Have pledged not to use seabed minerals.
One mining company is developing robots that would hover above the seabed,
With mechanical arms to pluck only uncolonized nodules,
Thus eliminating sediment plumes, reduce noise pollution, leaving the seabed intact
Such a robot needs further deep sea testing for validation.
International regulations are in a turmoil, with several mining firms ready to begin!
Once again desperation for resources, accompanied with capitalism,
May result in yet one more environmental habitat to be in great danger.

A Rusophycus opus 664

As I now age, I find I need to rest occasionally.
A baby also needs rest, and the elderly follow the same pattern.
My interest in Trilobites was at first
Limited to a collection of various Trilobite specimens.
One day I discovered a resting place or burrow (Rusophycus) fossil.
Its form is a rounded, elongated fossil mound.
The specimens available are relatively scarce, but now that I am aware,
I come across a number of these wonderful specimens online.
Of course, as said, I now need rest, just as much as the Trilobite!
Trilobites rested, but also would settle down into the mud to hide from predators,
Such as the voracious Eurypterids or 'sea scorpions'.

('Rusophycus is the resting/ feeding activity trace of the once present animal,
recording the outline of the trace maker, in this case the Trilobite.
On occasions the Cruziana will also be present; this is the trace or track,
made when the organism moved to, or from, that spot.')

Why a Pet Rock? Have a Trilobite! opus 670

Rocks are very old and, as a pet, are easily cared for.
Unless one is knowledgeable in geology,
A rock, considering it sternly, is just a rock.
Of course one usually adds, at least, wiggly eyes.
Now consider a Trilobite as a pet.
They are very old, maintaining a rock-like morphology,
Which is what this transformed body of a Trilobite is--a fossil.
They were once alive--no pretending there.
Trilobites existed so long--270 million years,
That they morphed into 25,000 species during their time span!
Thus, there are a myriad of shapes and sizes to choose from.
But most of all they had real eyes--prominently placed.
No need for anything fake or wiggly here.
(Of course, there were a few species which were totally blind!) 
And finally, gazing upon its beautifully formed body,
One has to be continually stunned and humbled,
Realizing how very long they thrived on our planet,
Comparing our perhaps 200,000 years to their nearly 300 million, 
Especially considering all the planetary monkeying we are doing.
They disappeared, to no fault of their own,
As a result of the great cooling of their ocean habitat.
What a truly significant pet--there should be one in every home!

David Attenborough opus 673

The middle of the night, as I age, becomes more familiar.
I fell asleep, then woke at 2 AM to a PBS Nature program.
It featured the long life and career of David Attenborough.
He began as a child, collecting English fossils in his neighborhood.
Then with the usual and finally, successful career attempts, got onto TV.
He created, in his own style, several notable nature series.
After 'translating' the many lives of frogs and birds,
He wished to explain the very early living life of the planet.
What would he choose, but that from his childhood--fossils.
From my own present passion with fossil Trilobites,
What did he explain, but his similar passion for Trilobites!
I was very familiar with David, but this brought me ever closer to him.
Our lives were parallel in many ways as we grew,
He being more world renowned, and I, in a smaller, but similar sphere.
Our worldly passions and concerns were parallel,
But through circumstance and drive, some of us reach wider horizons.
Both are vital, the smaller sphere augmented and supported by the greater.   
Truth and awareness are vocalized and needed by wide and local voices.
One should not boast if large, nor be discouraged if small.
All voices of encouragement are severely needed--especially now.

The Fulgurite Sitting Before Me opus 718

Having recently 'discovered' Libyan Desert Glass,
I am concentrating on another phenomenon caused by great desert heat.
Of course, the Glass is most likely caused by a hot meteor-like object,
Striking a desert area and melting the sand to glass.
Another object being turned now in my hand is a fulgurite--
A long tube of melted, fused sand, caused by a lightning strike.
Both are thought-provoking and amazing to handle.
King Tutankhamen supposedly utilized pieces of the Glass,
But I wonder if any human group used the fulgurites
For any purpose--decorative or utilitarian?
Surely a thought for one in our modern times to contemplate,
Transporting one's mind back to our human early past
And our present-day consideration of their insight towards such objects. 

Dinosaur Footprint Hunting opus 731

While teaching in Lesotho, Africa,
I had my first child, Pierre,
Who at two, 'followed' me around the countryside,
Collecting bees at night 
And finding dinosaur footprints in daylight.
This, all between my biology classes at the University.
One spectacular trip was to a large valley,
Where there were myriads of tumbled sandstone blocks,
Strewn randomly throughout the area.
I slowly walked amongst these boulders,
When suddenly I found my first prints.
A large, three-toed series of impressions,
Spread across the flat surface.
I carried with me plaster of paris, a water container,
Strips of cardboard and a clutch of paperclips.
I made a cardboard border around the print,
Tied together at the ends, with the necessary clips.
Water and plaster were mixed to a soft-solid consistency;
Then poured into the void, the print primed with vaseline.
Several prints were cast and then the waiting time.
Each was pulled up and removed, now in a solid state.
These prints were made in the seventies
And many remain today (2026) on my farm to our delight.
The five decades of preservation here on the farm,
Equals nothing to the 60 million years of waiting in the sandstone,
To be admired by humans today--
They, nowhere to be found during this creature's long past reign.