Christopher Bernard’s collection of poetry evokes a wide range of emotions. The words selected to comprise each verse are well-chosen, and vividly convey the scene playing out in your mind as you continue on the journey that each poem takes you on. A variety of real-world topics are considered throughout the collection, including fame, taxes, and materialism. But don’t be mistaken; the works are not all serious or topical in nature. Many of them may lead you to pause and meditate on their meaning or perhaps even their application in your own life.
I thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Bernard’s poetry. My only regret with this collection is that many of the photographs (often captioned as having been taken in San Francisco or New York) were missing from the copy that I was given to review. Regardless, the written text in this work more than made up for any missing images. The title poem, The Rose Shipwreck, provided a fitting start to the collection: “Such a shipwreck of flowers— a petaled wreck on an azure sea, of blood-red salmon stained with peach”…
The Rose Shipwreck: Poems and Photographs is not simply a book of poems and photographs as the title might have you believe, but it is a true piece of art! Christopher Bernard’s writing is a hidden gem of prose that is just waiting for poetry lovers to discover.
