I must admit, I have always been someone
who loves to give gifts…
whether it is someone’s birthday,
Valentine’s Day, or Christmas,
I pride myself on my ability to be able
to pick the right gift for the right person -
and I have had numerous comments
and compliments over the years
at how good I am at being able to imagine,
and eventually find,
the perfect present for someone in particular…
it isn’t always easy, and it’s not always simple -
but if I know someone, and I am already familiar
with their likes and dislikes,
then I know for a fact that I can come up with
something for them that they will like, love,
appreciate, and be something that will make use of,
perhaps cherish the memory of,
and always remember who gave it to them.
Of course, not all gifts that I have brought for some people
have been appreciated as much I hoped they would -
but that doesn’t matter to me,
because I can always say
with my hand on my heart
that I took great time, effort, and pleasure
in thinking about someone
and being drawn to buy something for them
that I knew they were meant to have,
for whatever reason…
I just have this eye for detail and this instinct
for what something represents,
and what it will mean to someone else -
but, even if someone does not initially seem
impressed by what I got them,
I always keep in mind that,
when it comes to buying presents for people,
it truly is the thought that you put into
purchasing or making something for someone
that is what really counts.
Time is the most precious thing in the world -
which is why what, and whom, you spend time with,
as well as what, and whom,
you spend your time thinking about,
should matter to each and every one of us -
and that is why we should all try not to waste
a second on someone who doesn’t appreciate
spending time with us,
nor what we do and have done for them…
I like other people’s birthdays more than my own
for the same reason I have always been a lover of Christmas,
because during the festive period
I get to show how much I appreciate people -
especially members of my family -
and present them with things from me
that I selected especially for them
because I knew what I bought would
resonate with them on a personal level…
I am sure other people spend more than me,
I am sure other people buy more lavish
and outlandish gifts for those whom they know -
but I challenge anyone to a contest
of making a connection with someone
and finding the best gift for them,
time and time again, and for every occasion,
because I know I would win every time.
Why? Because I have been told many times that,
among all my other talents,
I am, and I have always been,
a great gift giver.
Author: Mark Hastings
My Poem “Redux”
Worlds collide all the time…
things change every day…
stories begin and then come to an end -
sometimes without warning,
and without a satisfying conclusion…
the last word of someone is spoken,
the line of a character is uttered -
and then the curtain falls,
the lights go out,
and everything goes dark…
however, when some worlds collide,
a brand new world dawns,
a new wave of energy rises,
a story is retold in a new way,
and someone’s last words echo
and follow them into the next world
and the new phase of existence
that they find themselves now living.
The end of one road does not mean
the end of the journey in its entirety -
because when you leave a road
you have been on for a long time
you discover new paths
that could not have been seen before,
because you were unable to find them…
it is only when we are asked to reevaluate
where we have been, what we have done,
where we want to go, what we want to do next,
that we get the opportunity to go back -
physically, or perhaps figuratively speaking -
and undo what, and perhaps to whom,
we have been bound to for so long
and renew our relationship with things,
and with people, that has come to a point
when a test is warranted to make sure that
we are not in a situation where we are on our way
to somewhere we will not feel fulfilled, happy,
nor able to grow, learn, and see
that who and what are,
and who we are meant to be,
requires us to take the steps
that need to be taken.
The renewal of something that has
always been profound to you
can happen if you want it to -
but ultimately you might have to resist
what your head is telling you
and go with what your heart
tells you to do instead…
if you feel as if the destruction
of something, or somewhere -
even if that place only exists in your own mind
and is a fantasy world within a story -
myths and legends tell of times of war,
of sacrifice, and of end times;
however, at the end of every tale
of the end of every world,
there is always a next life that is promised,
there is always a future state that awaits,
there is always a hope of finding answers
to all the questions that you have asked in the past,
which speaks to the need of humanity
to not fear the unknown and embrace
what always has to happen -
and that is why I believe that nothing is impossible,
and everything and everyone might one day find out
that the universe isn’t what we think it is,
because the cycle of existence may be
some sort of cosmic phenomenon
that everything experiences,
and we are constantly rejuvenated,
reincarnated, and regenerated,
in a repeating and continuous process of redux.
My Poem “The Mandela Effect”
Have you ever had the experience of
misremembering something?
Have you ever been so sure
that something happened
as you remember it happening -
but then being told, as well as being shown,
that your memory of something
is, in fact, not correct?
Have you ever heard the lyrics of a song
and then mis-hearing them,
and then singing along to the song differently -
even after you are told that the words
that you thought a song comprised of
are slightly wrong?
Of course you have. We all have.
Because everyone does.
Why? Who knows?
But, what if the reason is something
unexpected, memory-altering,
as well as reality-altering?
What if we remember things differently,
because things have been changed
from how they were to how they are now
by a change in the timeline?
You never know. Perhaps, as some people say,
we may all be living in an alternate-reality?
Because it can’t be a coincidence that
some people’s memories of the same thing can differ,
while others have a clear and similar
recollection that things definitely
occurred the way that they did -
but, for some reason, somehow, something,
or someone, has acted in a certain way in the past
and has created new memories
that have been overlaid upon
the memories of what once used to be,
which has created a feeling of uncertainty,
a paradox of perception,
as well as a sense of what is called "déjà vu".
From quotes from a movie
to the logos of food packaging;
from the names of TV shows
to the missing tails of cartoon characters;
from an actor being remembered
for playing a film role that he never played
to the most famous example of some people
remembering something that happened -
but never happened -
which, of course, is the fact that
South African president Nelson Mandela
did not die in a South African prison in the 1980s,
as some people believe they remember he did,
and he was released from prison
and in fact died in 2013 instead;
there are so many instances of what has been called
“False memory” about certain things,
and cited by so many people,
that I believe there might be something
more than meets the eye when it comes to
what has been coined “The Mandela Effect”.
The Pathfinder – hardcover
Get your copy of the hardback version of my book ‘The Pathfinder’!
Published in paperback and as an ebook earlier this year, my poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ now gets the hardcover treatment and completes the full line up of books that comprise my personal bibliography of poetry, short-stories, and novels – for now, that is.
My poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ represents my unending pursuit and my passion to continue to do what I love to do and to continue to be who and what I want to be.
To me, ‘The Pathfinder’ is a book that will always stand out as somewhat of a crossroads in many respects – because to me it signifies a place and a time when I once again took a leap of faith in order to continue to be who and what I believe I have always been meant to be, while learning from the lessons of the past that I have been taught as I have proceeded upon my path as a person, as well as my path as a writer, a poet, and an author.
You can get your copy of the hardcover version of ‘The Pathfinder’, as well as the paperback and ebook versions, from Amazon now! 😊
My Poem “Father and Son”
I still can’t believe that you have left us…
I still can’t believe that you are not still with us,
because I feel you with me every day -
no matter where I am, and no matter what I am doing,
it always feels like you are standing right beside me,
it always feels like you are checking up on me
and every member of your family to see if we are alright,
it always feels like you are now an angel on our shoulder,
a messenger within our dreams,
and always reminding us that we are not alone.
Losing you was like a nightmare made real…
losing you will always be a scar upon my heart,
a shard within my mind, a fragment of chaos -
like that of the debris and the aftermath of an explosion -
that will always illicit pain within me,
and which I will carry with me every day.
You and I always shared a strong bond
and a connection that connected us
beyond anything that could ever be expressed…
you were, and you will always be,
my inspiration, my hero,
the source of my everlasting strength,
and the example I have always wanted
to embody and to emulate…
no one could ever be as loving as you,
as caring as you, as wise as you, as strong as you,
nor as willing to do what you were always ready to do
at a moment's notice for the people in your life
who meant the world to you
and who loved you unconditionally in return.
I have had to change so much since
you passed on to the world to come -
which I believe runs in parallel to this one
and has many states of being -
and I have had to step up
and do what you used to do,
what you tried to prepare me for;
however, nothing and no one can ever know
what it takes to have to take on the responsibilities
of someone else until they have to follow in their footsteps…
every day, you continue to give me
so much of what I didn’t know I needed
exactly when you know that I need it -
as you always have, and as you always will -
and I will bask in your love, your presence,
and in your extraordinary light every moment
until the day that you and I are once again reunited
and we get to talk to each other
like we always used to…
you and I were, and still are,
so much more than what we appear to be -
because there will always be something about us
that is unique and unlike anything or anyone else,
because we are, and we will always be, special
and more than just father and son.
The Comeback Kid – republished
Get your copy of the hardback version of my book ‘The Comeback Kid’!
Originally published in 2023, my poetry collection ‘The Comeback Kid’ is dedicated to my Dad and it was the first book I published following his sudden passing.
The poems within ‘The Comeback Kid’ symbolise the inner strength that we must all sometimes find within us to carry on living after losing someone who meant the world to us, and who was an inspiration to so many people in so many ways – just as my Dad was, and always will be.
I honestly did not know if I would ever be able to write anything else ever again after I lost my Dad; however, while still continuing to feel my Dad’s presence, as well as my unbreakable bond and my deep connection to my Dad, not to mention his phenomenal spirit and his incredible inspiration every day, I felt compelled to continue to write and publish a collection of poetry that my Dad would have been proud of. I know my Dad was always proud of me, he always believed in, and he always instilled in me the ethos to always do my best, no matter what I did – and I try to follow my Dad’s example and words of wisdom every day.
I miss my Dad, and I always will. And ‘The Comeback Kid’ will always represent who my Dad and I have always been – and no matter what we do, nor where we are, we will never give up, and we will always make a comeback in some way.
Get your copy of the new hardcover version of ‘The Comeback Kid’, featuring a brand new cover image, from Amazon now! 😊
My Poem “Make the Time”
If you truly care about something,
if you truly care about somewhere,
if you truly care about someone,
then you do whatever you can
to call, to message, to reach out,
and to maintain a connection to them…
if you truly want what you share
with someone, with somewhere,
or with something to last,
then you have to be willing to do things,
to say things, and to sacrifice things
so that a bond can remain unbroken…
if you truly are what you think you are,
then no matter where you are,
no matter what you are doing,
and no matter who you are with,
your mind will always wander
to whatever it is, wherever it is,
or to whomever draws
your thoughts back to them
like the needle of a compass…
if you truly believe that you are
the only one who can tell your story,
and if you believe that you are the only one
who has the ability to do what only you can do,
then you have to go to where you need to go,
you need to do what you need to do,
and you have to be with who you need to be with
to allow the art and the words within you
to spill out of you as it is supposed to
like the gift of an artist or a poet…
if you truly want was is best
for something, for somewhere,
and for someone - including yourself -
then you have to make the right choice,
you have to make a decision that may
have an impact upon your future self and your future life,
and you may have to take a risk
that is worth taking to make a difference;
however, before anything else,
everybody who finds themselves having to walk a line
has to make the most of the most precious
commodity that we all have: time.
Poet of the Multiverse – republished
Get your copy of the new hardback version of my book ‘Poet of the Multiverse’!
Originally published in 2022, ‘Poet of the Multiverse’ symbolised a landmark moment in my journey as a poet, as a writer, and as an author, because it was released 10 years after the first publication of my first book ‘Poet of the Sphere’.
‘Poet of the Multiverse’ and the poetry within were published when I began to look upon who and what had brought me to where I found myself at that time in my life – both personally, as well as creatively – and, as I did, I began to see a pattern, as well as a multitude of choices, paths, and “What if?” moments which have defined me and have shaped me into who I am in so many ways.
I have always been fascinated by the thought of what might have happened if each and every one of us had made different decisions at a particular moment in our lives; however, the more that I think about what choices I made – some based solely on instinct and intuition – I continue to be believe that what happened was always meant to happen for a reason, including: I was always meant to be the “Poet of the Sphere” and a “Poet of the Multiverse”.
You can get your copy of the new hardcover version of ‘Poet of the Multiverse’ – including a brand new cover design – from Amazon now!
Podcast Episode: The Wolf and The Vampire – new collection
Mark also talks about the republishing of his book ‘Vega – The Vampire King‘ – the origin story of “The Vampire King”, who was first introduced in ‘The Wolf in You‘ – which serves as a parallel story to the events of that story as told from the perspective of Vega himself – which is also available to buy from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/06Yx7aS
The Rambler – republished
Get your copy of the republished version of my book ‘The Rambler’ in hardback!
Originally published in 2020, ‘The Rambler’ is a poetry collection that signifies, describes, expresses, and attempts to explain, convey, and communicate my love of walking, as well as my love of nature, and my personal connection with the natural world.
A love of walking and of enjoying being outdoors has been a favourite passed time of mine and my family for generations, and the poems within my book ‘The Rambler’ are about why it is important to never take life, nature, people, and the planet we live upon for granted – because this world is the only one we have.
You can get your copy of the new hardcover version of ‘The Rambler’, featuring a new cover image of myself, from Amazon now!
-Mark
markthepoet.me 