Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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The Termite Feast. Remember that photo of Jane Goodall; The chimp using the stick tool to draw out termites? The use of the tool was an incredible break through of knowledge, But what of the saga of the termites? When discovered as a food, the termite was the protein impetus of evolution. Human brains evolved with the added protein to flourish ever larger. I lived and taught at the University of Lesotho, Africa. One afternoon, winged termites began to emerge from our lawns! Amazed, I watched as these delicate creatures pushed up into the air. I remembered the gustatory history of humans and termites; I suddenly cried out--'bring out your large salad bowls'. 'Place them over the holes and capture these potential protein morsels.' As our ancestors lept to snatch up as many as possible-- So we moved fast to capture our entemorphagical tidbits. Emersed and gently fried in hot butter with a bit of water, These insect protein packets fed us for a meal, Drawing us back in mind to our ancestral past And the continual, perpetual human search for reliable protein sources. Frank Maurer 1 February 2023 0910 AM.