Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Man of the Earth--New Year's Thoughts. 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. Frank Maurer 31 December 2025 0145 Hours.