Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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The Poppies of Elsinore, California. When I was 10, I had my own paper route. I folded each paper, stuffed them all in the cloth paperbag, And rode off on my bicycle. One afternoon about 1951, I was folding the papers And reading the headlines that day as I folded, I saw something I would never forget-- Why, I do not know, but there it was: "The Earth's Population is now 3 Billion People." Of course, now within my lifetime of 71 years from that time, The earth has reached a growing total of over 8 billion persons! The predictions are that things may level off at 10 or 11 billion. Goodness-------. Now on the radio today there was a news item That in 2019, Elsinore, California, had thousands of visitors To view the superabundance of Spring poppies. So many people that it clogged the town to a standstill-- No towns people could follow their normal movements! The highway blocked, driveways blocked, shopping centers blocked! Then, Covid for two years and no visitors. Now 2023 arrives with another poppy bumper crop. The town was so traumatized in 2019, That the mayor proclaimed all peripheral roads and parks were closed-- There were so many people who came before, That now, NO ONE could enjoy the canyon flowers by the town. Three billion to eight billion population and everyone is penalized-- Just trying to view some flowers! Will we be able to manage our populations With ever more growing vital life needs such as Meds distribution, food availability, fuel consumption? How might we really manage with such chaos? Frank Maurer 13 February 2023 1900 Hours.