My Poem “You + Me”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Our psychic connection
extends over oceans…
our love is like the sun
that shines above…
our hearts beat in time
and as-one…
our dreams at night
are always of one another,
as are our waking thoughts
during the day…
our lives are synchronized…
our magic is the music
that we effortlessly make
without even knowing it…
our world is incomplete
without what gives colour
to our all-seeing eyes…
our shared souls lift
both of our spirits
to the outer limits…
our never ending dance
is a constant blessing…
our constant communication
is as rich, vivid, deep,
and as open as any could be…
our song is the one
that we never want to stop singing…
our natural spark of physical,
emotional, and spiritual electricity
that we share is what gives meaning
to our mutually-assured and shared love,
and what inspires and what is at the heart
of the life-changing formula of you + me.

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My Poem “Pause”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,

Planes crash. Buildings fall.
Lives are lost. Time stops.
One day can feel like it is the end of the world.
Open wounds always leave scars.
Some days can never be forgotten.
Memories can sometimes feel like stars –
sometimes they feel far away,
and sometimes they can feel
close enough to touch…
the 11th of September, 2001,
is like a scar of my memory
and I will always remember
exactly when and where I was
when it was given to me.

I have visited New York City…
I have stood at Ground Zero…
I have marveled at the memorials
that are now where two towers once stood…
I have looked up at the Freedom Tower,
and every time I think about being there
where so many people lost their lives
it always brings a tear to my eye –
because I remember where I was
when New York City and the world,
and all of us who value life above all else
were rocked both physically
and emotionally to the core…
every time I think about that day
every thing that happened that day
always makes me sad and gives me pause.

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My Poem “Siren of the Stars”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When I look above
my attention is instantly captured…
when I listen to the hum of the night
the barrier between reality
and my dreams becomes fractured…
within the same moment
I see light and dark –
a bright sun and a full-moon…
among the stars
I see a pattern, a play,
a dance of light –
and then I see the sparkling eyes
and the perfect smile of my muse,
and my mind feels as if
it has left my body,
and I feel as if I am
floating through space and seeing
the multiple dimensions of the universe
one after the other…
I could be anywhere, at anytime,
at any age, at any moment of my life,
and all that I have to do
is look up to the sky and open my soul
and see, hear, and feel with all my senses
the siren of the stars.

My Poem “_”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , ,

The wind blows… the trees sway…
the water of the lake ripples…
the raindrops fall upon my face…
the clouds are grey…
it is not even midday,
and though the sky feels like
it is falling down on me
I feel completely at peace and content,
as I sit on a bench
looking out at this oasis of tranquility,
completely exposed to the elements of nature,
as the ink of my pen becomes smudged
as I write in my notebook –
however I do not mind for a second
what is happening around me and above me
which I have no control over,
because all that concerns me in this moment
is where my inspiration
and the thoughts of my imagination will take me…
some moments leave quickly
like a leaf on the wind,
while others will live forever
and they will never leave me.

Happy Internatinal Literacy Day!

My Poem “American Dogs”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , ,

American dogs
of every size, breed,
fur length and fur colour…
American dogs of the countryside,
of the city, and of suburbia…
American dogs – wolves of the domestic era…
American dogs who grow up with,
who know, and who would
protect their owner
if they were ever in danger…
American dogs who have been
taught and treated in the right way
since they were a puppy
never forget who loves them,
nor where their home is…
American dogs are an important
part of the family
that they have been adopted into…
American dogs, like children,
love to be shown affection
by their adoptive parents…
American dogs adore their human parents
and they worship them
as if they were gods…
I have seen multiple times,
in multiple ways, face-to-face,
how truly loving, social,
thoughtful, and protective
some animals can be to their
family and their siblings –
and, in my opinion,
there is nothing like the love
that is shown and given freely
by an owner, which is then
reciprocated by
an American Dog.

My Poem “Rhapsody”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The voices of everybody over-lap…
one minute the music is jazz,
the next the beautiful melody of a piano…
the echoes of a chorus of sounds
are carried through the air
like the waves of an ocean…
there are moments of time that run slow
and there are those that race past
and then are gone again in a flash…
there is a dance of people,
of language, of emotions,
of noise, of stillness, of silence…
the beats of a heart,
the thoughts of a mind,
the air and the ambiance
that flows gently like a stream
can gradually become a waterfall –
the place, the people, the music,
the moment that is filled
with an infinite number of instants
that make them who and what they are
is what is at the heart
and what is the true essence
of what poetry, to me, is all about…
the best poetry comes from the heart of a poet
who feels a moment of time and an experience
so deeply and so profoundly
that it can only be expressed as a rhapsody.

My Poem “Flamingo”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,

Your passion is like a flame…
an indomitable spirit beats within your heart…
a fire can be found in the blood within your veins…
your strength is inspiring…
ever since I was a boy I have watched you grow
into becoming a striking model of grace and beauty…
to see you as you are now is amazing…
you are loving to those who mean the most to you…
you have seen so much, you have been to so many places –
and yet you have not changed since you were a girl…
I am so proud of who you are…
there is no doubt in my mind that no matter what happens
to you in the future, my sister, you will never stop continuing
to be a beacon of hope for those who you love
and those whom love you…
to me, it is no coincidence that purple is your favourite colour:
because purple is the colour of royalty,
creativity, dignity, devotion, pride, independence, and magic…
to me it is fate that you like flamingos,
because “Flamingo” means “Flame-coloured”,
and Flamingos symbolize love and happiness
and someone who is accepting,
someone who opens their heart for others,
someone who can’t stop giving, and that is you to a tea –
because you embody all that a Flamingo symbolizes.
Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister!
Happy Birthday, Clare!

My Poem “Under Arbor”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sitting under a tree…
Sitting under a shadow
as the sun shines
and there is blue sky above me…
I take a moment alone, on my own,
to savour the moments
of precious peace…
My time here is short –
however, isn’t everybody’s these days?
My thoughts briefly drift away
as I daydream that I am far away…
I think of memories
that mean the most to me…
I remember and I see the faces
of those who give my life meaning
and who make my heart skip a beat…
Life is the most precious thing…
Love is the most important blessing…
I never get the opportunity
or the time these days to just sit
and take it easy,
and that is why I am
making the most of this moment
to breath in the fresh air
and sit in the shadow of a tree.

My Poem “Corona”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,

Did you see the ring of fire?
Did you see the aura of the sun?
Did you see the halo of our star?
Did you see the moon turn day into night?
Where you there when the sky darkened
and people were overwhelmed with emotion?
Where were you when you saw your first eclipse?
Were you frightened, or were you hypnotised,
when you saw the moon obscure the sun’s light?
I remember, and I will never forget,
how I felt when I first saw the moon
come between the Earth and the sun:
I felt lost for words,
because I knew that what I was seeing
was synchronicity in all its perfection,
and also poetry in motion
that would stay with me forever…
I can still remember where I was
when I saw light explode,
as the sun was revealed again
from behind the moon –
and even now, within my mind,
I can still see the sun’s crown
that is its beautiful
and mesmerising corona.

My Poem “Fortune”

Mark Hastings Poetry, Uncategorized , , , , ,

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“It is within a bookstore where I willingly get lost…
it is within books where I discover a part of myself…
it is when I am with my muse in a bookstore
that my heart comes alive the most…
it is when I breathe in the aroma of new books,
when I become entranced by all the different book-covers all around me,
when I cannot take my attention away from the one I love,
that I feel surrounded by a fortune of limitless wealth.”
-Mark Hastings, “Fortune”

My Poem “Words Enough and Time”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If only there were
enough words in the world
and limitless time in our lives
for each and every one of us
to find peace of mind
to fill our soul
with only the things of life
and the universe
that are among the most
wondrous and beautiful…
during an eclipse of daylight,
under the silent shadow
of a celestial event,
within the brief window
of day becoming night,
every one of us
can feel as if our lives
have become frozen
in an instant of twilight…
if only there were a way
for thoughts to break-free,
if only there were a way
for us to see the unseen,
if only there were a way
to describe the true meaning
and the transcendental
beauty of a sunrise…
if only there were
words enough and time.

My Poem “The Dark Tower”

Mark Hastings books, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,

I once spent an entire summer
with Roland Deschain,
“The Gunslinger”,
as we followed
the “Man in Black”
as he fled across the desert
of a world that had “moved on”,
in the pages of the books
of Stephen King’s epic
multi-novel adventure
“The Dark Tower” –
and it was as we journeyed
and followed the path
of the beams that led
to the tower that stands
and binds the worlds
of Stephen King’s stories together
that I discovered along the way
that the best stories
are like the most memorable dreams,
and that to find something
you may have been looking for
for as long as you can remember
sometimes the doorways
that we must walk through
we can only find
when we explore the world’s
that reveal themselves
under the covers –
and now I am preparing to enter
a movie-theatre so that I may return
to the world of Stephen King
and journey again across a desert
and through magical doors
with “The Gunslinger”
and return again to “The Dark Tower”.

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My Poem “The Piano”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,

Even now I can still hear
the beautiful melody
of that piano concerto play…
An unknown melody
that instantly made me smile,
daydream, and feel
at my ease in every way…
Something amazing,
like the gift of an angel,
that filled my mind,
my heart, my soul…
A feeling of contentment
that made me imagine
as if I were below
a dark sky filled with stars
and standing upon the soft sand
of a beach, hand-in-hand
with the one I love…
I was truly touched by the music
that I heard, the music that I felt…
The music that I can still hear…
The beautiful solo performance
by a single piano player…
It’s meaning to me
is far beyond what I know…
I don’t know who the player is
and I don’t know what the name
of the piece is –
but I do know how I feel
every time I hear
the music of the piano.

My Poem “Be Positive”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , ,

Some people do not watch the news
or read a newspaper,
because sometimes it seems like
all that there is to see and to read
on TV, on a screen, or printed
with a headline on a piece of paper,
always seems to be mostly
about conflict, divisiveness,
and negativity –
however, I am here to report
that the world is not
all doom and gloom:
there may still be wars
being fought somewhere
every day in this world –
but from what I see
and from what I read,
I can honestly say
that there are more
good things in this world
to see and be made aware of
than there are bad…
I personally love seeing
how and what other people
from all around the world
live and breath,
and I truly believe
that there has never been
a better time in all of human history
to discover new knowledge,
in this modern day
age of enlightenment,
and to always be positive.

My Poem “Obsession”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,

You are my obsession,
as I am yours…
I know how much
you love me,
but I love you more…
you dream about me,
as I dream about you…
you think that you’re
the lucky one because you have me,
but I know with all my heart
that I am the lucky one
whose dreams and wishes
all came true the minute
that I laid my eyes upon you…
I know that you love me
to the moon and back
truly madly deeply,
but I love you more –
because I love you
more than life itself
times infinity,
my passion, my inspiration,
my beautiful obsession.

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My Poem “Left to Write”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , ,

Fast or slow…
Long or short…
Something you feel,
something you know…
Something to be discovered,
something to be revealed…
In a notebook, on a screen…
At home, or somewhere
you have never been…
From eyes and ears
to mind and imagination…
From the inside to the outside…
In silence, from sound…
In the sky, or while standing
upon solid-ground…
From dreams to reality…
From a burst of sunlight…
From the stars of infinity…
Just like that comes a poem,
and it never ceases to amaze me
what a writer can create
when they are simply
left to write.

My Poem “Genius”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , ,

Guardians are always with us…
we all have personal deities
protecting us and watching over us…
spirits are all around us,
and when we need them the most
they comfort us and they help us…
we all have benevolent daemons
and angels on our shoulders
who are always speaking to us…
from birth to death
every one of us has a soul
that gives something important to us…
we all have a kindred friend
who only wants what is best for us…
everybody has a place and a person
within them that is their
own personal “Genius”.

My Poem “Eccentricities”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , ,

One minute its raining,
the next the sun is shining…
one minute there are clouds up above,
the next there is blue-sky all around…
I have to say that the weather of the UK
is just as eccentric
as the people who populate
this beautiful and wonderful country…
from one end to the other,
in every direction,
the villages, the towns, the cities,
the people, and the weather
of Great Britain
are not shy in the slightest
about showing their indefinable
and their uniquely-British
ever-present eccentricities.

My Poem “Rainstorm”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , ,

The raindrops are falling…
The thunder is rumbling…
The people are running for cover…
The people getting soaked
are wishing that they had an umbrella…
The music of a band continues playing…
The children are having fun puddle-jumping…
The British public are yet again
at the mercy of the eccentric
British summer weather…
The streets are slippery under-foot
and they are as shiny as a mirror…
The sound of thunder
again echoes in the clouds above…
The rain continues to pour –
however, after taking a breath for a minute,
everybody steps out again
and braves the constant shower
of this prolonged
Great British rainstorm.

My Poem “The Face of You”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , ,

I see your face
every time I close my eyes…
I see your face in my dreams…
I see your face
every time I look up to the sky…
I see your face
imprinted upon my memories…
I see your face
beautiful and bright
like an constantly illuminated
green neon-light…
I see your face even when it is dark –
because every perfect detail
of your exquisiteness
is like a beautiful green aurora
against the stars of midnight…
I see your face
when I call upon my idea
of the most beautiful,
and I always see your face –
because I’m in love with
the face of you.

My Novel ‘The Wolf In Me’ is out now!

Mark Hastings books , , , , , , , , , ,

“This is the tale of Olivia Hunter… this is the tale of how she lived, how she died, and how she was reborn. This is the story of an ordinary young woman propelled into an extraordinary world.”

My novel ‘The Wolf In Me’ is out now! And you can get a copy of my new book and my first novel from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes&Noble, The Book Depository, and many other online book sellers, in paperback and as an ebook!

You can also listen to me talking about ‘The Wolf In Me’, what it’s about, and why I wrote it:

I hope you enjoy reading my new book and my first novel!

-Mark