







"Hi everyone, I'm Mark Hastings... I'm afraid I'm not someone who plays an instrument or sings; however what I am, what I love and what I one day hope to be is a poet and a dreamer who can move the world with my poetry..." - "The Poet" by Mark Hastings, From my book 'Poet of the Sphere', First published in 2012 This verse of poetry from my poem "The Poet", which is also the description on the back of my first poetry collection 'Poet of the Sphere', describes me when I first started writing poetry, and who I still am and who I still want to be to this day. Granted I may have made some missteps along the way, I may have made some mistakes; but I still hope that I have been a source of hope and inspiration for others and that I will continue to be. I have published 12 books over the course of the last 10 years - filled with poetry, stories, inspiration, characters, recollections, tales of fantasy mixed with personal experiences - but no matter what I have written everything has within it not just me but those whom I have met throughout my life and ingrained more so than could ever be imagined. I have always loved sharing experiences with others and occasionally capturing moments of time with others so that others can read and relive those experiences through the lens of my poetic eye. Alot of the poems that I have written have been read by many people, but some have never been read by anyone other than who they were written and intended for - but no matter who reads, or listens to my poem for that matter, I hope that I have left my mark upon the heart of those who have felt something from the touch of my words upon their soul. All 12 of my books are available to buy on Amazon and a great many of my poems new and old can be read @markthepoet and some can even be heard on Spotify being recited by me on "Mark The Poet - The Podcast" - which is essentially a poetic trip down memory lane in which I recite a poem from one of my books every day. Happy reading and happy listening! -Mark 😊
When I walked out of my house this morning I immediately found myself staring into the dark eyes of a crow - it was as if the crow knew something about me and about what was going to happen to me that I did not know... I stared at the crow, as they stared back at me, and then when I started walking towards them they let me get perhaps two feet before they decided to flap their wings and take flight as quietly, as quickly, and as effortlessly as could be... I didn't think anything else of the crow until just now, as a matter of fact, as I wonder how long it will take before I once again feel whole again, and just like the old me; however, I know that it is too late for some things and that there are some things that will forever remain in the past... we are all a product of the choices that we have made and the road that we walk upon that is built upon our hopes, our dreams, as well as our fears and our actions that we can't take back... when I woke up this morning I knew that I had something waiting for me - something that I knew would leave a scar upon me that only I will wear and that only I would know... when I woke up this morning I was given a message meant only for me that when I think about it now was as clear as clear could be - and the messenger of this message was who was waiting for me outside my house this morning: none other than the black bird that is smarter than you could know, and symbolically considered to be the herald of change, transition, transformation and new beginnings that is The Crow.
A blue sky above your head... the sun shining brightly... a day at the beach with friends... walking through a park while enjoying the sights and the sounds all around that resonate with natural beauty... a smile, a laugh, a series of newly made memories... a song, a vibe, something that leaves an impression of itself with you... a roller-coaster at a funfair that sees you going up, down, and sideways... a ceremony of matrimony that reminds everybody who witnesses it that a certain combination of souls are meant to be bound together like glue... a family get-together... an event you don't want to miss... a trip to somewhere that you swear you will remember forever... there are some things that feel perfect and feel made to be because of the touch, the light and the energy that is captured from the Sun and made a part of us that we would never want to miss.