Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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This is the Second of July. As the signing of the Declaration of Independence approached, Adams and others said the Second should be the day of celebration. As we know, the Fourth won out as the day. I was talking today, the Second, with my South African friend, Paul, Who said out of the blue, that we should be flying the French flag! He knew I knew why, but was mentally teasing me. Paul understood that I knew my American history Thus, I would not react, as he said many here would do. Of course, after all the work Benjamin Franklin accomplished in France, That country's ships came to our rescue and defeated General Howe. It is interesting how an immigrant would know such a fact, But that is often the way with newcomers knowing their history. I joked with him and congratulated him on his awareness. With the passage of time, many of us forget our own history. Remember how we mercilessly turned on the French, During our Iraq invasion and rebuked the French For opposing our ill-planned act of confrontation? And more, then we created 'Freedom Fries' and god knows What kind of French Toast linguistically emerged. The French were correct with their insight, As they were in 1778, bailing out this English colony And creating the blueprint for their own Revolution! Even though we speak different languages And generally worshipped god in a different manner, We might, with thought, be closer to the French, Than to our English, Anglo-Saxon brethren. Frank Maurer 3 July 2026 0245 Hours.