Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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My Outer Body--A Petri Dish for Cancer. When I was young, eight decades ago, Parents simply sent their children out in the sun-- No prep, no concerns, no worries of future consequences. Most likely today, I suffer from the sun's delayed anger-- Freezing with liquid nitrogen, multiple biopsies, And surgeries therefrom; Slow healings being observed to monitor progress, Combined with concerns of what was next. Such is much of my last tier of life. As a result of this torment of lighter skin-- An evolutionary result of necessary vitamin D, Homo sapiens having migrated, darker skinned out of Africa-- The trade off was between darker skin and needed vitamin D. Today, in a park or on the street, meeting blond, hatless children, I gently remind their parents of the great need for a hat and sunscreen, So these innocent ones do not go through my plight. To emphasize the point, I remove my hat, lean over, And display the bald spot on my crown, formed from serious surgery. I replace my hat, state I do such because I care for them And move on under our life-giving sun to my next episode. Frank Maurer 17 November 2024 0950 Hours.