Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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A Shot and Then a Fire! (13 August 2024, 1630 Hours.) Home from a wonderful session At Surgery with Dr. Alali, my oncologist. He is from Iran and is writing a book About Darwin's relationship with that country. My CLL, blood cancer, seems to have just disappeared! Home and parked in my drive and checking the mail along the road. A very loud shot blasted my ears from the south And a second later my nearby waste bin and I were peppered with shot! I called out several times, "Do not shoot. I am here!" No one there. Deciding to move out of the line of fire, I drove to the house, when I heard a crackling of fire-- My northeast berm in the line of fire--was leaping with flame. The slight wind was from the south--away from the house. I rushed into the house, retrieving, computer, meds and keys. Someone had called the closeby fire department, So I lingered and watched, ever cognizant of the wind direction. We had mowed some of the berm, so flames at first moved slowly, Then raged forward along the northern border; when, finally out. Relieved, damping up occurred, and then talks with fire- and sheriffs. I was strangely calm and 'took it as it came'. Called later to see that they would check for embers after dark. Communicated to a few others about the challenging happenings, Then rested and did just what I did after my African elephant attack years ago-- I relaxed and went into a much needed sleep. Frank Maurer 15 August 2024 1735 Hours.