props to my s-in-l dodo
you are the salt of the earth
your emails and thots always seem singular to me


















i was considering posting in a more specific nature
some of the shit that has been going down in berns world
as i way of separating myself from said shit

after trading emails with dodo i see
my 'baggage' is only comparable to other peeps 'carry-on'

so you just need to know that i made a decision
contrary to the person i hold most dear
its done ...now i trust in God and stay the course

that person is my mom
she invented salt

bern shares
bv)

...life - whoa!!

excruciatingly difficult
yet swimmingly simple

agonizingly painful
yet wonderfully rewarding

my life
from afar is only a speck
but from here (in ma heed)
my life is rich
with highs and lows and promise

highs as small as making a stranger smile
and as large as my daughters coolness

lows as miniscule as blowing off the gym
and as momentous as doubting my worth

and promise
to smell the roses
to never do battle with a lesser opponent
to make a difference
to judge not lest ye be judged (im catholic)
to be a good dad brother and son



















bern shares
bv)

"youre doing very well today, harrison"

as i passed a lady on my bike
that is what i heard her say
















she was talking to her dog

bern shares
bv)

"things to do" checklist

not as simple as a shopping list
nor as important as a holy-wacka-wacka-life-shit-list
just stuff i havent done yet and wanna do sometime

* walk with shoelace untied ...CHECK

anybody whos anybody doesnt know me
but anybody who knows me
knows that 'bold and caps' are justified

on the way home from the gym
(i skipped yesterday so i tortured myself)
[even took a mental health day off work so i could really tack it down]
{or so i convinced mice elf}
i glanced down and noticed one of my laces had come untied
(ab)normally id rectify this post haste
and (un)usually i cant even walk beside
someone with an untied shoelace

when i was a kid I was told it was unsafe
and for the next 40ish years
i never once questioned that dogma
(my trust in catholic church hasnt received such blind faith)
[dont tell my mom - she'll tell God]

well today (as im in a bit of funk i figured wtf)
i threw caution to the wind baby

lo and behold
my walk home transpired without peril

















im not saying henceforth im gonna go all
willy-nilly with my shoelaces
im just saying

and perhaps next
ill try unrefrigerated hard boiled eggs (ww t xo)
...hmmm

bern shares
bv)

well now ive gone and done it

its done
over and done with
cant go back and undo it
unless i can fly around the earth
really really fast
counter to its rotation
and turn back time

















today i bought my first pair specs
ther just readers - i dont really need glasses


















(that was self-deficating humour)

ive been putting this off for several years
as our lord said let there be light
holy man!
i can see - I can see

time waits for no man
i just cant believe how far it has marched
but that is no surprise - cuz i cant friggin see anymore

oh well
nbw
"readers" put nary a chink in my 47 (oct 4) year old self image
if fact MP thinks i look sexy
(perhaps i paraphrased)

i say to you who have been putting off getting glasses
get em now
theres a lot of cool shit happening
and you wont want to miss it

bern shares
bv)

tonight i had cocktails with

ducky 'n bunny













no i wasnt at a bridge tournament
no i wasnt at a peeler joint
no i wasnt at a cast party for "16 candles"

ducky is suzie (one last hurrah)
bunny is a lady bartender that served jeff and me a few years ago

they are best friends since 16
and met at camp "i cant remember"
thats cool

the world is big but the circle is small

we had a grand ole time
[you know when you meet certain folk and feel an instant kindredship]
that was us
three peas in a pod
more accurately one guy that was that was lucky enough
to be party to a dear friendship

to my two very pretty cohorts:

bunny:
you are a peach
soon enough youll turn and see me in your section

ducky-suzie:
you are a swan that calms the lake with your wake
and youve got some eye shit


bern shares
bv)

it was suzies last night
shes a cocktail chick from work


















("my name is susan!")
when we finished our shift and a few warm-ups
we went for drinks to 'say so long'
boy o boy she can drink
we got drunk and ended up at my local

(necessary background info)
i quit the butts coming up on five years ago (dec 13)
only just this year - on several occasions
i have snuck in a few puffs - nbw (no big whoop)
tonight however
suzie the she-devil didnt just bum one smoke for us to "share"
she bummed two
one for her and one for mice elf

[im not gonna even try to convince you (me) that
its cool cuz ive got that demon conquered - cuz
that demon (addiction) is indomitable and my bane forever]

the next morning i felt as if i had betrayed myself
after talking to me (out loud) - we decided that its all good
i am only human and life goes on

feeling especially hung-over
i couldve easily passed on dragging my sorry ass to the gym
but i didnt - you go bern - snap snap snap
(alright already with the snapping!)
my hangover cure is a hard hour of cardio
works every time
well holy man
i was weezin and coughin like i was back in my smokin days
just because of that one damn cigarette
felt like i smoked the whole pack
as a mans gotta know his limitataions
that was a good lessoned learned

this post is really not so much for you
as it is me clearing my conscience
i find after saying something out loud its not so scary


bern shares
bv)

i love autumn












cool crisp evenings
bold blustery afternoons
dewy dewy mornings (so im told)


















leaving summer behind for yet another year is a drag
its okay though - indian summer still awaits us
maybe even two (love that global warming)

as much as i gush about autumn
come april youll hear me sing spring praises just as loud
...cuz winter sucks (eh AVDC)
my mom loves the changing of the seasons
me not so much
when it comes to "winter livin"
im more like eva gabor than eddie arnold
winter clothes confine my spirit
(and yes i walk around my apartment in the nude)
i digress

anyhoo back at the autumn

earlier this summer we camped
and i spoke of God's 'green' earth
as does the green calm my heart
God's harvest palette never ceases to leave me in awe
i am oft to stand watch o'er a tree
marvelling
transfixed
waiting for the next color
reds golds yellows oranges magentas














GOOD LORD


bern shares
bv)

ps
heres the one major bummer regarding the passage
of warm and sunny summer to brisk and windy autumn

my dire and perilous night
is only a dream come light


















bern shares
bv)

angst

when did...
"excuse me, would you please point me
in direction of the restrooms"

morph into...
"and the bathrooms are..."

the harrying quest for power and the almighty dollar

















has become more important than good manners
manners fashioned ages ago to facilitate a civil society




















to all those who are too busy
to bother being courteous
i say -bad form jack!

bern however will continue to
open doors for the ladies
(how else could i get a glimpse of the posterior -duh)

bern shares
will likely address such other social travesties as:
'sidewalk ediquette'
'subway decorum'
and
'your dog is NOT a baby'

bern shares
bv)

i hate squirrels











they scare the shit out of me
every time i pass one
i swear its gonna jump up
and bite my face

rats with plumy tails

bern shares
bv)

my knees (niece) HH.
sent me lovely letter (email) today
i thot you cats might appreciate exerpts
of her letter and mine in return

(i hope you dont mind HH.)
[im sure you dont - you love the attention ww xo]
i call HH. 'dr b'
and im 'ub' -uncle bern, duh

hey ub
i started school yesterday
im now in grade 5
WOW!
dr b out

hey dr b
WOW grade 5 eh
in grade 5 i had a crush on sue r.
one saturday afternoon her and i
and bernadette m. and steve q.
took the bus to centennial pool (kinda like a double date)
but i think i told oma i was just going with some friends
after swimming i bought her a candy necklace
it had a candy heart on it too











a few years later
when we all got to junior high
she hung out with the "coool" kids (sheeyah, cool my foot)
and we never really talked again
oh well - her loss
i liked being in grade 5
(no pressure - older than k thru 4 but not a senior)
[kinda like macdaddy on deck]

ub out xoxo

bern shares
bv)