My Poem “The Best of Us”

Each of us can find contentment
doing things that make us happy...
each of us can find hidden secrets
about life, about people,
about every day things or situations
that can make us all take another look
at the world, and at ourselves,
and allow us to realise that there
is more seemingly "small things" -
simple gestures, simple tokens -
that mean the most in the long run
and down the line when a smile
on a face is all that we crave.

Each of us need things to explore...
each of us need one another...
each of us need both windows and doors...
each of us need the feeling of being
included and not excluded from
what is going on in the world,
in the galaxy, in the quest of humanity
and all life everywhere to find the next
check point on the journey
that is their purpose -
whether that is to be found in a forest,
on a mountain top, above the clouds,
or below the waves on the seafloor.

Each of us can do extraordinary things -
even if we might not innitially
recognise our gifts for being as profound
and as impactful as they are...
each of us make mistakes,
each of us do things that we regret,
because each of us are human -
and I believe our failings should not
forever be considered mortal sins
by some from which we can
not move on from, learn from,
and change as a result...
each of us are a miracle, worts and all...
each of us are soulful individuals
who over our life will feel feelings
and emotions from love to guilt -
but, to me, the spectrum of what
people are capable of symbolises
everything about life that nobody
can do anything about:
some things just are what they are,
just as each of us are who and what we are
and have always been destined to be since birth -
as were, and as will always be, the best of us.

Episode #22: “Steve Jobs” (2015 film)

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2015 biographical drama film “Steve Jobs” directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin. And Mark also reflects upon the lasting legacy of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Episode #21: “Lucifer” (TV series” – Season 6, a review

In this episode Mark does a review of the sixth and final season of one of his favourite TV series, “Lucifer”, which recently premiered and concluded on Netflix, starring Tom Ellis and Lauren German. And Mark also talks about what he enjoyed about the series as a whole, the cast, the characters, and whether the series ended in a satisfying way. *Spoilers within*

Episode #20: “Nobody” (2021 film)

In this episode Mark does a review of the 2021 American action thriller film “Nobody” directed by Ilya Naishuller and written by Derek Kolstad. The film stars Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell, a bored family man, who, after he and his family are robbed during a home invasion, finds himself returning to traits of his clandestine former life and enacting vengeance upon a Russian mobster. The film also stars Connie Nielsen, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd.

My Poem “Forté”

Everything has a vibration...
everyone knows if and when
they are on solid ground...
everything is what it is for a reason...
everyone, whether they realise it,
or not, has a sound:
a gift to be able to break the barrier
of distance and air between two points,
just as unmistakable as the language
of touch generated by making
contact with a drum.

Some people have an innate ear
for what sounds right...
some people have an observant eye
for what looks out of place...
some people have an natural ability
to be able to pick up new things
just as fast and just as easy as it was
for them to learn how to ride a bike...
some people have the skill
to be able to never forget a face,
while some people are better
at remembering particular numbers and names.

Some skills that we acquire are self taught,
while other skills come over time
and take a steady recurrence of repetition
in order to assimilate the necessary muscle memory...
some gifts are passed down
from person to person,
from generation to generation,
as effortlessly as driftwood floating upon
the surface of an ocean before finally
coming to rest upon a sandy bay...
some things are meant to be,
while some things are not the right fit;
however, all things and all people
have a reason and a fate meant just for them:
something that they are good above all else,
which they might describe as being their forté.

Episode #19: “The Matrix Resurrections” (2021 film) – trailer reaction

In this episode Mark gives his reaction to the first trailer for the highly anticipated upcoming film and fourth installment in “The Matrix” film series: “The Matrix Resurrections”. And Mark talks about what “The Matrix” films mean to him and how they have influenced him.

Episode #18: “The Mark The Poet Experience” – Recent Poetry

In this episode Mark recites four of his most recent poems: “Same Language”, “Why?”, “The Runners and Riders”, “Hello/Goodbye”, and gives some personal insights into the inspiration for them.

Episode #17: “Happy Star Trek Day!”

In this episode Mark wishes a very happy birthday to his favourite television series and film franchise: ‘Star Trek’, created by Gene Roddenberry, which premiered on the U.S. television station NBC on September 8, 1966, which has boldly grown to become a cultural phenomenon all around the world. Mark talks about what “Star Trek” means to him and what it is about the franchise that has kept him a fan of it since he was a child. And Mark also recites his poem “Beam me up!”. Live Long and Prosper! 🖖

Episode #16: “Spider-Man” (2002 film)

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2002 American superhero film “Spider-man” directed by Sam Raimi, starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-man/Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben, and Rosemary Harris as Aunt May.

Episode #15: “A Quiet Place, Part II” (2021 Film)

In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2021 American horror film “A Quiet Place, Part II”, the sequel to the 2018 film “A Quiet Place”. The was written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski, who also appears in a flashback scene. The story continues to follow the Abbott as they attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by extraterrestrial creatures who a naturally blind but who have an acute sense of hearing. The film once again stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, and sees Cillian Murphy join the cast as a fellow survivor who assists the Abbott family in their time of need.