Author Archives: B Gourley

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About B Gourley

Bernie Gourley is a writer living in Bangalore, India. His poetry collection, Poems of the Introverted Yogi is now available on Amazon. He teaches yoga, with a specialization in pranayama, and holds a RYT500 certification. For most of his adult life, he practiced martial arts, including: Kobudo, Muay Thai, Kalaripayattu, and Taiji. He is a world traveler, having visited more than 40 countries around the globe.

PROMPT: One Question

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Daily writing prompt
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
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Would you mind performing coronary revascularization surgery?

Yes, I mind. I’m not a doctor. I have no training whatsoever.

Red Maple [Tanka]

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early Spring seed pods
 of Red Maple hold tight 
  - patiently —
 til one day in late Spring: 
  they’ll drop, spin, and fly.

Fogless Fog [Haiku]

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white blossoms 
 seen through still bare trees:
  looks like fog, sans fog.

DAILY PHOTO: Infinite Buddhas

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Photograph of rows of gold Buddhas taken at Fo Guang Shan, near Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Photograph of gold Buddhas arranged by staircases at Fo Guang Shan, near Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Alone in the Cold [Haiku]

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solitary duck
 huddles with itself,
  against the cold.

PROMPT: Failure

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Daily writing prompt
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
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In juggling one must fail a million times to have any hope.

But what is success and what is failure? I’m not sure I know.

Illusory [Free Verse]

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Photograph of miniature rabbit sculptures at Fo Guang Shan, near Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Nothing is what it seems,
     or as it feels it should be.

The world is full of
     smoke & mirrors --
          neither here nor there...

And yet everywhere... 
      & everywhen.

Vagabond [Lyric]

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Photograph of a statue of a young vagabond taken at Fo Guang Shan [佛光山,] near Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Each Soul contains its Vagabond 
   - Who yearns to travel light & free -
 But they load too much baggage on,
   Then tether him to a big tree.

DAILY PHOTO: Hualien Martyrs’ Shrine [花蓮縣忠烈祠]

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A photograph of the Hualien Martyrs' Shrine (花蓮縣忠烈祠) in Hualien, Taiwan.

Nameless / 无名 [Lyric Poem]

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Photograph taken in Hualien, Taiwan at the Hualien Temple and Dongjing Temple (花蓮寺東淨寺) [Buddhist.]
They call me Nameless,
   Well-known as fameless.
 My plans are aimless.
 My faults are blameless.
 My chess is gameless.
 My disgrace, shameless?

But my glasses are framed.
   My passions are inflamed.
 My wild horses are tamed,
   And my arrows are aimed.
 All due credit is claimed,
   And nothing else remains.