life

My Poem “Frozen Tears”

Mark Hastings life, me, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,

The snow fell slowly…
the snow fell deep…
the snow fell quietly…
the snow fell so peacefully
that while I was watching it
I drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, as I looked out
at the blue sky above
and at the white snow below,
I felt like I was a child
and I wanted to go outside
and walk in the snow –
and that is exactly what I did:
I put on my walking boots,
my coat, my scarf, and I threw
my rucksack on to my back
and I set out, one step at a time,
to explore the frozen beauty of nature
and the wonderful sights
that most of the time remain hid
before it was too late –
because even in nature things
are not always meant to last.

The sound of the snow cracking beneath
the soles of my boots was invigorating –
most likely because the sound of my own
footsteps was all that I could hear…
the way that the crystallised snow
sparkled and glistened as the sun
shined upon the pure white path
before me was dreamlike –
untouched, vast, like being within
a moment of time in which
there was no beginning and no end:
like staring at an eternal representation
of life and nature and feeling so moved
by this overwhelming and profound landscape;
and yet, even though I wanted to cry,
I was unable to conjure any tears –
I instead choose to close my eyes,
to breathe in and to breathe out,
to smile from ear to ear,
and to feel more blessed
that I had felt for years.

My Poem “Always”

Mark Hastings Blog, life, me, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , , ,

My heart goes out to everybody
who is having to adapt to doing things
and to living their life as best as they can
in a vastly different way than they had
previously known how to
since all of the restrictions put upon
their interactions, the way that they shop,
how they work, and how they learn
were introduced in order
to combat against an unseen
and an easily transmissible enemy
that has seemingly brought
the modern world to a stand still.

My heart goes out to parents,
because most of them have had
to adapt to becoming not only
their child’s guardian and around
the clock source of entertainment,
but they have also had to become
their child’s tutor and home school teacher –
and in most cases parents are struggling
to be all the things that their child
needs them to be all of the time,
while perhaps also simultaneously
having to juggle the responsibility
of being a supportive partner.

My heart goes out to the children
of this generation who want to learn
and who dream of becoming something
and someone with a calling
and a purpose in life to be fulfilled…
my heart goes out to those families
who are having to share their one
and only means of accessing the Internet
and those who are having to take it in turns
to seek out some kind of escapism
from the stark reality of world events
in any way that they can.

One thing that is undeniable
is that life is hard for people right now,
and the world, unfortunately,
seems more fragmented than ever;
however, whenever I see new art being created,
whenever I hear of new music being shared,
whenever I find out about new
innovations that are being made,
whenever I look beyond the shores
of my island home,
I am reminded of how resilient the human spirit is –
which is why I do not stop myself
from believing that with a little time,
patience, and perseverance
the human race will one day
collectively come out from
the shadow of this dark era
more resolute than ever,
stronger than ever,
consistently riding the waves of change,
because we have always been a species
who no matter what has always found a way.







					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem “The Blackout”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															life, lost, me, Poetry					
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One second there was light

and the next there was darkness…

One second all was bright

and the next I couldn’t see

my hand in front of my face…

One second I was looking at

my phones illuminated screen

and the next I was using the torch

of my phone to guide my way…

One second the sun was shining

and the next it had completely

disappeared below the horizon

heralding the end of the day.


I still remember those days

and those nights when I was a child

when the power used to go out

every now and again –

but whenever it happens now

it is always a complete and utter surprise

to the degree that some people

still attempt to flick light-switches

on and off multiple times

perhaps believing that they can cause

somekind of electrical reset.


It’s strange looking out of the window

at night and seeing all the streetlights off…

it’s odd having no power, no light,

and no heat for a short amount of time –

but such an experience does make you truly appreciate how much we all

do sometimes take for granted

the gift of instant electricity,

and how much when we do not have it

at out disposal some of us feel immediately lost.


When the lights come on again,

when the TV screens flicker back to life,

and when we no longer have any further need

for the torches and the candles that we

had lit as temporary sources of light,

we all feel thankful to be able

to see clearly and to feel comfortable

once again in our world of modern enlightenment

that for a time had been taken away from us

by the inconvenience of a brief

but significant neigbourhood blackout.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	



			
				


	

		

					
My Poem “There is always hope”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															life, me, Podcast, Poetry					
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When you are a child
there is no more magical
and joyful moment of your life
than around Christmas time
when you get to write a letter
to a man in a red suit, with a white beard,
who on Christmas day will deliver
all that you have been asking for
for perhaps all of the previous months of the year –
and with a high degree of certainty
there could be no one more popular
than the ever jovial Father Christmas/
Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas himself
who children dream about, write to,
and draw pictures of, as well as his
ever present reindeer and his trusted elves.


Christmas is for everybody…
Christmas is full of positivity, possibilities,
and you truly start to get into the Christmas spirit
as soon as you start to hang the decorations
upon your newly bought, or perhaps your
perennially rediscovered, Christmas tree…
Christmas is a season for hope,
optimism, friendship and family…
Christmas is when people need
other people more than anything –
and the greatest gift that you can
give anybody is your time,
because not only is time precious
but it is also free.


Christmas time can sometimes be hard –
even when their isn’t a dark cloud
hovering over every one in every country –
and so many people do not have
the opportunity to be with somebody
on December the 25th,
which is why everybody young and old
need to remind themselves why it is
important to be there for those
who we are blessed to know
as well as for those who may not know
and who may live on their own.



Christmas time should be hopeful
and without fears and tears…
Christmas time should be about
showing love, as well as about being
happy and merry while listening
to Christmas songs that have endured for years…
Christmas time is a wonderful time
that is capable of making anybody
of any age feel as if they are a child…
Christmas time is a whirlwind
of emotions at the best of times,
however when people are at their most
in need of something and someone
to believe in they can look no further
than to whomever matters the most to them
to give them the gift of a Christmas star
to enlighten and to signal that
even on the darkest of nights
there is always hope.


Merry Christmas! 🙂🥳🎄🎊🎋





					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem “Exposed to The Elements”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															life, me, Podcast, Poetry					
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Even when it is cold and wet

I like to get out of bed,

I like to get dressed,

and I like take a walk in the elements –

because just as when the weather

is fine and dry I enjoy nothing more

than being exposed to whatever

emanates unabated from the sky,

whether that is raindrops or golden sunshine…

my secret to not feeling cold,

as the wind around me whistles and howls,

is to keep going and to not stop

until I see, until I hear,

and until I feel as if

I have experienced moments

and instances that have imprinted

upon me and have left me inspired.


I live every day under the curse

of the imagination of a dreamer…

I live every day with the gift

of the eternal poet within my soul…

I live every day seeing the silver lining

around so many clouds filled

with lightning and thunder…

I live every day believing that

if we all stay upon the road

that is our sometimes up and down life

we will all one day arrive somewhere,

with something, or with someone,

that we will always want to have

and to hold and never let go of.


It can’t always be sunny…

life can’t always make sense…

the people whom we meet in life

can’t always be as sweet honey…

life can’t always be about pounds

and pence, or dollars and cents –

because what life is really all about

can only be found when you set out

and when you choose to be exposed

to the world and all of its elements.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem “We Have It All”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															life, Podcast, Poetry					
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I am different…

you are different…

everybody is different –

and yet we are all the same,

which I think is absolutely amazing!

I am on a different path,

you are in a different lane –

and yet so many people

find themselves at the same

moment of crossroads

when and where there is a vital

transference of knowledge and energy,

which can feel electrifying!

I am experiencing what I see

and what I feel around me personally,

you are interpreting everything

like only you can –

and yet when there is the discovery

of a breakthrough of life-changing proportions

people from all around the world

can gather together and herald

the arrival of yet another game-changer

in how we all live our lives.


I have never stopped being

in awe of the power and the poetry

of the universe that we can see

and measure with our own eyes

and with some of the instruments

that we have invented;

however, I know that all the secrets of existence

may never be known –

which is fine by me,

because there is more to be gained

by investigating the source of a riddle

than the eventual reveal of a mystery.


I understand the draw to explore…

I agree that we need to colonize

other worlds in order to know

more about the diversity of life

throughout the universe of galaxies…

I do not dispute that there are

other planets with other civilizations

living and thriving on them…

I would gladly take a ticket to ride

upon a rocket into orbit

or aboard a starship at warp-speed

to another part of the Milky Way galaxy –

but I do think that we all need to

look around at this world

that we live upon once in a while,

our home, and realize that right now

this is all that we have, this is who we are,

and if we could all just choose

to stop making so much of our

societies revolve around

corruption and greed

then everybody could have it all

because here on Earth

we have everything that

we could possibly need.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
Have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Blog, life, me					
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My Poem “Keep the faith”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															life, me, Podcast, Poetry					
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Where once there was many

now there are few…

where once there was darkness

now there is the promise

of something hopeful and brand new…

where once there was hate and fear

now there is the light of love

to usher in a new day of healing…

where once there was tyranny

now there is the arrival

of why it is always important

to never stop believing…

where once there was division

now there is a message of unity

for people who want peace and prosperity

to spread across the world

and out amongst the stars…

where once there were daily attacks

now the suvivors who did not

give up continue to walk tall

and seek to mend those who

now wear deeply embedded battle-scars..

where once there was lies

now there is truth to be found

in a myriad of ways…

where once there was indecision

now there is a symbol and an example

of why it is important

to always keep the faith.









					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem “2020 Decision”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Blog, Podcast, Poetry					
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Everybody has a voice...
everybody has a choice...
everybody deserves the right
to be able to put a line or an "X"
in a box on a ballot paper
for somebody who they have faith in
to do what must be done
to reinvigorate and re-establish
the individual rights of a citizen...
everybody can make a difference
if they choose to show up,
if they choose to make their mark,
and if they choose to vote
with their heart, with their mind,
and if they choose to listen to
what their intuition is telling them to do,
when they need to make
what could turn out to be
a decisive and a historic decision.