These words were written by Bernard and given to Matt Chayt with instructions that they be read at the dispersal of his ashes following his death.  Bernard died on October 23, 2014, and these words were read according to his wishes:

An Invocation

You elemental forces of our world,

You fellow beings of our Earth,

You tiny insects, reptiles,

Mammals, fish and birds;

You flowers and plants,

You  mosses, vines and trees,

You roots and branches,

Lichen, bacteria and molds;

You rocks and fires beneath our feet;

You stars and nebulae,

You planets, suns and moons,

Atoms, particles and quarks,

That make us what we are;

You cells and neurons, digestive juices

Blood and bones,

Our thoughts and memories

Our plans and our ideas

Our parents and our children

And our dead; in fact:

The super energetic soup

Of all our lives,

Our eternal, never ending hope

In which we all participate and share -----

To you we pledge our lives,

Our many differences,

A dedication by the great All of us,

To love, acceptance and  a world-wide peace.

- Bernard Duncan Mayes