Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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When Do Children Play? When I was a child, some 75 plus years ago, We were sent out to play, with or without lunch, And were expected to be in before dark (winter) Or by supper time (summer). To add to the verbal agreement, my mother rang a large ship's bell, To make sure we knew that the hour of return had arrived. There was no worry nor even a thought That we children were in any mortal danger. Today, such unsupervised freedom would never even be contemplated. Children are walked (driven!) to school each day and then retrieved-- I was perhaps walked to school on my first day of first grade. With so much concern and fear by today's parents, Why is it that the same concern does not exist For their children, when using social media? It is also a great 'trouble-maker' for children's well being. Some, even going so far in a troubled way, To take their own lives because of great distress. Many of such young ones do not even contemplate going outside To enjoy and be calmed by the original Nature from which we all evolved! Frank Maurer 22 November 2025 1010 Hours.