Gary Bernard

The road
rose up as the
engine kept the pace - a
long winded story he told her
...

Children
playing freely
joyful and happy - while
stressed out parents keep score for their
...

'Red'
Red roses bloomed in the garden
A Cardinal sang his song there too
While the poppy struggled in the wind
...

"The Simple Act of Walking"
I think of those I love, who can't
And I walk on!
I am Strong
...

'Intoxicating Daydreams'

It was a wet day as the sky ran tears
While the organ-grinder chased his monkey
...

'Goodness Hidden'
'Inside each of us is a flame waiting to be ignited. An encouraging word might be the spark to light that flame and the light now revealed may change the world forever.'
© G. A. Bernard 2022
...

'War'
The ego kindles the fire
The shallow character then fuels it
The delusion of grandeur propels it - now unstoppable!
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"Living Space"
The world holds its breath
While Ukrainians recoil
Reason has failed them
...

Chaos engulfs him
the noise silencing his mind
Unable to see
beyond the rubble of waste
...

"Untethered"

His steps felt light in the fresh morning air as he walked into the courtyard
...

"Untethered"
His steps felt light in the fresh morning air as he walked into the courtyard
The sun blinded eyes unused to the bright light from above
The air so exhilarating as it filled lungs gasping for life
...

I am homeless - an addict
Still a human being

I am homeless - mental illness
...

To those we've loved, and those disfavored too,
To those we barely knew who crossed our path,
To ones who came and went, to those who stayed,
Wishing they'd left to kin that we have lost.
...

'Only Those Who've Served Truly Know'
They marched off to war to the sounds of patriotic songs and cheers, Young minds driven by duty and sacrifice, Hearts full of love for family and country, Souls assured that God was with them.
Bodies trained, fit, ready for the fight, Unaware the enemy felt the same. As the battle raged, they learned truths, Only warriors can ever know.
© G. A. Bernard 2024
...

So many left their homes, To England's shores, new lands to face. Never ventured far from their hometown's sight, Until 1939, when they joined the fight.
They marched to war with songs and cheers, Young minds on duty bent, Hearts full of love for family, Souls in faith, content.
Fit bodies ready for the fight, Unaware the enemy shared their conviction's plight. As battle raged, they learned the truths, Only warriors must endure and keep hidden away forever.
Battles fought on foreign lands, Shadows weave in haunted dreams, Cobblestones echo silent screams. In our minds, the fears unwind, But through the dark, a light redeems.
...

In headlines bold, the names we see, Of stars and leaders, famed and free, Their passing marked with grand acclaim, Their stories told, their lasting fame.
Yet in the quiet, shadows deep, Countless souls in silence sleep, No fanfare sounds, no tributes paid, Their lives, like whispers, gently fade.
Each hour, each minute, life departs, Unnoticed by the world's great charts, A mother, father, friend unknown, Their journeys end, their stories flown.
Celebrities' lives, we're told, matter more, Their dramas, triumphs, we explore, Media's lens, it shapes our view, What's deemed important, what is true.
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In life's grand tapestry, threads intertwined, We share our joys, our hearts aligned, Laughter echoes, memories unfold, Yet deep within, our stories stay untold.
Our experiences, shared, reach only so far, In the light of day, we see who we are, But in the quiet night, alone, We confront the truths we've always known.
Together we walk, hand in hand, Through fields of love, across the land, Yet within each heart, a secret space, A private journey we each must face.
Excitement shared, yet uniquely felt, In our core, only we truly melt, Wealth and hardship, seen by the crowd, Yet silent battles are never loud.
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Among life's paths where fates entwine, We sift through strands, each bond define. Acquaintance first, a simple nod, Paths cross—connections odd.

Yet friend we say with ease each day, As faces come, then fade away. Amid the many, few remain— True ties we build are rare to gain.
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The unfulfilled promises, The unheralded lives, The bored and the distracted, The unhappy and the angry.

When the bomb hits, what would be lost? Dreams unspoken; futures tossed. Echoes of laughter, now a ghost, In the silence, what hurts the most?
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As we make our way through life, the deepest thoughts, and feelings, rarely expressed to another, even if they are, rarely understood. Only the inventor can truly grasp the depth and weight of their own heart.
In the hustle and noise of daily existence, we wear masks to fit the molds, to play our roles in society's grand play, hiding the true self behind layers of pretending.
Conversations flow on the surface, touching lightly on dreams and fears, but the core remains hidden, a guarded sanctuary of the soul.
Moments of vulnerability come and go, brief glimpses of our innermost being, yet quickly we retreat, to the safety of our solitary confines.
...