From Poet of the Sphere to The Sound of Mark, from The Eternal Boy to The Dreamer and The Dream, from Too Close To The Sun to Playing God, from The Wolf in Me, The Wolf in You, The Wolf in Us to Vega – The Vampire King, from The Rambler to Poet of the Multiverse, from The Comeback Kid to The Pathfinder, from The Doorman to I’ll Meet You At The Lighthouse, from The Storyteller to The Return of The Wolf, from Scales & George to The Affair, from The Shadow of The Wolf to The Outsider, as well as my upcoming book Godspeed – all my published poetry and stories are all now available to buy from Amazon! Get yourself a copy now! 😎
Just before sunset on a cool and calm evening near the seashore, a group of friends gathered together to go for a walk and follow a path lead by a storyteller of infinite creativity, imagination, and inspiration… the promise of the evening adventure was palpable by all who had been inextricably drawn together by something akin to the force of gravity; however no one could have known just how much of a magical experience this away mission would be… a gentle tram ride; a short walk down quiet streets; the eventual arrival at the beach all felt like moments filled with rising levels of energy, excitement and joy – because as the party of friends proceeded to walk together it felt as if new connections were being created that would last for a lifetime.
The storyteller of languages both spoken and unspoken then guided the group of starry-eyed friends along the beach and pointed out landmarks of significance which were a part of a tale that speaks to the struggle that sometimes rages within people after they have lost a loved one – and as everyone followed along and listened to every detail of the story being told there was no one who was not spellbound and entranced by the words and the imagery that was forming within their minds.
The group then came upon the statue of the same sea-ogre within the tale they had been told about and everyone who looked upon them actually believing that they might come to life and threaten the group; however, because the group were protected by the ensorcelling words of the storyteller – an entrancing and spellbinding daughter of the sea – no one came, nor could ever come, to any harm, and once again the fellowship were guided along the beach until they came upon a giant metal shell that as they got closer to it seemed to encapsulate the various voices of the group into one harmonious chorus.
The ensemble of companions remained silent as the sun began to set and the beautiful light of life bound this group – our group – to one another as we all looked out to sea towards the magnificent sphere of fire seemingly dancing upon the surface of the water; before long the light of the sun faded, but the magic of the shared experience remained – as did the meaningful, profound, lasting, and beautiful words of the tale that had been shared continued to echo – and I was so overcome and overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude, as well as with memories of my father who I miss every day, that I shed a silent tear and thanked our “sunset storyteller” for the blessed and everlasting gift that she had given to me.
The poems “Poet of Tomorrow”, “The Spirit of The Wolf”, and “The Sounds of Earth” taken from my 2026 poetry collection ‘The Outsider’ – out now and available to buy online from Amazon.
The poems “The Author Mark Hastings”, “Islands of Happiness and Peace”, and “I am Not a Robot” taken from my 2026 poetry collection ‘The Outsider’ – out now and available to buy online from Amazon.
The poems “Simpatico”, “Punk”, and “The Stranger”taken from my 2026 poetry collection ‘The Outsider’ – out now and available to buy online from Amazon.
From time to time everybody finds themselves seemingly existing within a bubble of space and time in which it feels impossible to ascertain how long you have been inside, nor able to imagine being free of it, because more often than not we don’t realise what has happened to us, nor how we found ourselves captured with no thought of escaping… people often stay somewhere, doing the same thing, for years before they start to question their place; however when something happens, perhaps when someone finds a way to leave the confines of the barrier surrounding them and they walk away with their head held high, doubt can start to creep into the mind of those who believe they have more to offer than what they have been doing day after day and something inside feels as if it has started to change… when you have been somewhere a long time just the thought of not being there any longer, surrounded by the people you have been around more than even your family, can be a scary thought - but after something happens that has an effect on the way that someone feels about being somewhere, that is when so many people start to feel this surge of courage brimming within them and encouraging them to do what they may never have anticipated doing; however, everyone has their limits… sometimes it is only when you can look backwards upon somewhere you used to be that you can give an honest assessment on what happened, as well as when, why, and how you decided to take a leap into the unknown and make a move towards where you found yourself and doing what you ended up doing - sometimes you can look back and wonder whether you made the right choice at the right time, or whether you should have stayed where you were and not been eager to leave somewhere you knew well for somewhere you did not know; however, more often than not, I would say that most people who find themselves seemingly stuck somewhere, and doing something they have no interest in but just pays the bills and keep a roof over their head, would undoubtedly jump at any chance to see what would happen if they were to take a shot in the dark and go wherever and whenever their heart tells them to go, and if they could anyone would do the seemingly impossible and break free of the bubble that might have been holding them back.
The poems “The End of The Dream”, “Noon”, and “Retro-causality” taken from my 2026 poetry collection ‘The Outsider’ – out now and available to buy online from Amazon.
The poems “Give Back”, “The Realms of Possibility”, and “The Bubble” taken from my 2026 poetry collection ‘The Outsider’ – out now and available to buy online from Amazon.
The sun has been a source of light, heat, inspiration, fear, and adoration for many people and civilisations over the centuries… the sun has been, and continues to be, a source of hope, as well as a source of dread, for people young and old alike - depending on when they are exposed to its extreme power and influence… the sun has been leaving its mark upon the world since our planet coalesced into the rock of possibilities that we now live on and are inextricably bound to… the sun has been giving us gifts of life, as well as teaching us all lessons not to take anything for granted, nor to be too dependent upon anything too much for too long.
The sun has been shining like a beacon for visitors of its solar system since its creation… the sun has been spinning through the arms of the stars of the galaxy since the dawn of the universe and it has its own life cycle and periods of time when it is more active than others… the sun has been sending out its energy and its gravity far and wide in sometimes noticeable and unseen ways and waves like that of a dark ocean… the sun has been deciding the fate of the life upon the planets and the moons that encircle it and those forms of life that still remain - both “advanced” and vocal, as well as those still hidden and silent - and it will continue to do so for time yet, until it comes to the end of its life and it sends out an almighty shockwave that will violently change the face of everything and everyone forever after.
The sun is an important source of reinvigoration, relaxation, and reproduction for plants and animals and it is essential for how life on our planet knows when, how, and why to do things… the sun has been rising at dawn and setting at dusk repeatedly from the perspective of many individuals and every time it is seen from the ground, or while orbiting in space, everything and everyone always has this sense and this feeling of awe and connection - as if the sun is constantly speaking to something within us all that beats in time with it… the sun has been seen in many ways and it’s has many layers to it that speak to its depth its complexity, its context, and its place at the centre of the wider world of our existence… nothing and no one is anything without the sun, and for as long as life has existed the sun has been giving blessings and lessons to those who bask in its eternal light - especially those who spend as much time as they can in worship of the celestial “sun god”.
In this episode I talk about my upcoming book “Godspeed” and how it and its story connect with previous characters and previous books and stories that I have previously published.
All families are somewhat dysfunctional… not all families get along with one another… all families sometimes fight amongst themselves; however no family is more dysfunctional, no family is more fractured, and no family members are at the odds with one another more than a family of gods.
One immortal and selfless god who has been in a state of rebellion against his family for many years – because he sought to influence and help humanity by “playing god” against the wishes of his father – finds themselves being put through a mortal trial of life and death like never before.
However, this “Rebel God” is not to be underestimated – and though he finds himself deceived and punished for his transgressions this “Man in Black” is a survivor and capable of anything.
Prepare yourself for every twist and turn of the continuing story of this former “Messenger God”.
Mark The Poet 