Like most people in this life,
at many points throughout my life,
I have had to choose between
one direction and another…
like most people in this world,
there have been several moments,
as an adult and still while I was a child,
when I have had to take my options into account,
and make a decision about,
what path my future could look like…
like most people living on this planet -
this spinning sphere of change,
orbiting around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour -
while growing up my imagination was filled with
sights and sounds of infinite and amazing possibilities
which I might want to explore further;
however, as reality becomes more complex,
and as we are all faced with the dilemma
of having to deal with making a living,
as well as finding a source of happiness
that we can return to time and again
to sustain us through the years of struggle,
each of us has to overcome the fact
that sometimes none of us has total control
over everything that happens,
nor how fast things happen -
because, though we have plans,
the universe has a more complicated lattice
of interconnected relationships and realities
constantly interacting with one another
that it must endeavour to keep in balance.
I have been working on the concept
and the project that is me since I was a kid -
and there have been many times
when I actually thought I had figured out
what my life was supposed to be
and what it was supposed to look like;
however, like everyone who has ever lived,
every time I believed that I had found
meaning, reason, and balance in my life,
the universe would always find a way
of telling me or showing me that I was wrong
and that I should think again…
I have had times when I have been riding high
and as happy and content as could be,
and then I have been reminded that nothing
lasts longer than it is supposed to
and what remains afterwards are only
shadows and reflections of what was
that can never be repeated -
but we don’t learn the heavy truths of
why we should embrace every single moment
with every single person we meet
until we lose contact with them
and we are forced to continue
our lives without them.
Like most of the people who have searched
their entire life for their own calling,
and who want to know what they should do
when they are presented with an opportunity
to influence the outcome of their own life,
I have continuously had to make
adjustments to my perspective
on certain things, on certain people,
and on certain assumptions that I might have had -
because I am, and I have always considered myself to be,
open and empathetic to others who live
a life similar, but different, to my own -
and I have never been afraid of
seeing the other side of an argument
and trying to find a solution based up
listening, learning, and understanding,
as much as I can, about
why people do what they do.
Like most people of my generation,
I have never been more disappointed
by anything than the fact that
some people seemingly cannot find a way
to put aside all that divides them
and come to a peaceful compromise
which benefits everybody and everything -
but the problem is no matter how much
some people have they always want more;
however, I cannot help myself from hoping
that one day everyone will come to their senses
and once and for all realise that the fate
of this world of ours is not for us to decide,
nor is the destiny of the life on this planet,
because we are all just the ones who
are currently doing the best we can
and living as we see fit;
however, several tribes, families, groups, gangs,
empires, dynasties, have thought
that they had dominion over all other peoples
and life on Earth for a fraction of time
in this life of this world -
which is why, in my opinion,
we should be grateful for what we have now
but never forget that change is inevitable
and the most important thing to remember
is that we are not alone in this universe
and that our journey as a planet
will only be allowed to continue as it is,
or evolve as it must,
if it is meant to, and if we once again
do not accept that the only way
to get the best out of everything
and everyone is to live and to work together.
The Affair – Coming Soon
The Affair. My new book. Out October 31st, 2025.
Disclaimer:
This is a true story. This is the story of a relationship, and an account of things and events that happened, which should never have happened.
This is the story of two people whose bond was doomed from the start.
This is the story of two people who were meant to meet and to fall in love with one another,
but whose affair with one another would leave a lasting scar for one of them more than the other.
A Journey Through Poetry #23: The Deep Blue
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘The Deep Blue’, from his poetry collection The Rambler, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
My Poem “Sit”
Sit… Just sit…
Sit and listen to the sounds all around you…
What do you hear? What do I hear?
I hear the sound of train wheels,
against the backdrop of the sound of birdsong,
and then nothing, or almost “nothing” -
because I believe that there is
no such thing as “nothing”;
because there is always something happening
in this world and on every world,
even though from a distance
it might not seem that way.
First thing in the morning
has its own soundtrack
that is more serene, subtle, and subdued
in comparison to the rest of the day…
first thing in the morning
people and the world’s wildlife
are just waking up and undertaking
their daily routines and rituals
that will hopefully keep them
in good stead when it comes
to doing what they have to do,
and perhaps where they have to be…
first thing in the morning
there in an ambience of calmness
and a sense of peace -
however, before long, new sounds
make themselves be heard
and fill the air with noises
and voices that cannot be easily muted,
and what follows can be like
a sonic wave that overwhelms
everything and everyone else -
especially within a city.
There is nothing better than
sitting on a park bench,
as the afternoon sun shines down upon you,
and as the breeze rises ever so slightly
and gives you and your skin a gentle caress…
there is nothing better than
sitting on a beach, on a towel,
or perhaps while walking through
the crashing waves of a ocean,
and instantly feeling and understanding
the nature of the world
and all of our connections to it -
whether we realise the actual depths
that our integral bond reaches.
At sunset - and especially just after sunset -
when the sun is on the verge of fully descending
below the horizon and darkness rises,
that is when the sights and sounds of twilight
echo all around and make up us all feel
as if we are connected to something otherworldly,
but familiar at the same time:
the end, the beginning, the universe, life itself…
after nightfall, as the sound of cicadas can be heard,
as the hunters of the dark undertake
their nightly moonlit pursuit of their prey,
and as young and old dream of being able
to accomplish their hearts desires,
the stars of the cosmic sky above shine silently -
and yet, there is more to be found
and there is more to be heard
and discovered than could ever be imagined,
expected, nor explained;
and this is why it is important
to sometimes take the precious time
that is gifted to you and make the most of it,
when you are given the golden opportunity
to sit down and take a seat.
My Poem “The Messenger of Possibilities”
I used to be so fast…
I used to be able to move
with greater speed
seemingly than that of light,
or even that of thought…
I used to be in one place
and then gone the next
that I seemingly had no shadow to cast…
I used to be able to seemingly be
a different person, in different places,
interacting with different people,
all at once, and able to diversify
my time and my attention
seemingly to countless others…
I used to be unstoppable,
I used to be indomitable;
I used to be connected to so many,
in so many ways –
and then something happened:
I underestimated my own abilities
to be the one who could do
anything without consequence,
nor did I account for things
naturally coming to an end…
I used to have so many friends;
I used to have so many people
who looked upon me
with such love and enthusiasm;
I used to have the foresight
to enable me to be ahead
of the game being played –
and then I watched the house of cards
I had constructed fall down around me,
and since then I have seen
others pick up the cards that
I imbued with elements of myself
and take them with them and use them
to create barriers that keep me always
at arms-length, because they took
all that they ever wanted from me…
I find that I am now slower in speed
and more hesitant to jump at the chance
to throw caution to the wind
as I blaze a trail of flames
and do what I desire without a single thought
to the consequences of my actions;
I find that I am now more likely to be found
deliberating about what I should do,
rather than leaping into the unknown
and trying to find my way by using my instincts
to light the way that I would follow
to wherever I felt I needed to be, and with whom…
I find that I am now more likely to be found
in my own sanctuary,
rather than tripping the light fantastic
while dancing upon the water-drops
of a rainstorm brought to life
by the rays of the sun
converted into the arch of a rainbow.
And why? Because I care not
for what and for whom I was once obsessed about
and believed in to a fault;
because I no longer wish to be
the one who did all that he could
while receiving nothing in return;
because I no longer call my allies my friends,
nor do I call my enemies my nemeses –
because I am more than happy
with my own company and with those who
I wish to gift my time to;
because I have been blessed with the gift
of not being burdened by the pain of disappointment,
nor by the knowledge that I lived a life
navigating a labyrinth of relationships
built on lies and deception –
and which is why I live alone,
but not lonely, in my world of hope,
resilience, resolution,
and symbolic of the messenger of possibilities
that I always have been and always will be.
A Journey Through Poetry #22: Nine Lives
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Nine Lives’, from his poetry collection The Dreamer and The Dream, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
A Journey Through Poetry #21: Fireworks
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Fireworks’, from his poetry collection The Eternal Boy, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
My Poem “Bygone Error”
Who we are within never changes,
but as we get older the levels
of protection that we surround ourselves with
increase in number as well as in strength…
the seed from which we all grew from
continues to remain at the centre of the labyrinth
that grows in size and complexity
the more that we experience and explore
the interconnected world around us…
the spark of life that gave rise to our
emergence into this world continues to be
a guiding light for us as we are faced
with questions of our own future
and the challenges of mortality
that we try to put off for as long as we can -
but the more that we have our perspective
on the world and on people inextricably altered
the more that we realise our timeline of
relationships with everyone and everything
is limited by where, when, how, why,
and who delivered us into this world.
It can be a shock for each of us
when we begin to realise that we are not
who we think we are, nor are most people
who they portray themselves to be,
because when we are younger we are lead
to believe in fictions and fantasies
taught to us by those around us
who wished to continue a cycle
that acts like an psychological anvil
that continues to weigh down upon
generations without end -
but that does not mean that the crimes
of the past should be forgotten about and papered over,
only that they should be learned from
and taught to never repeat.
It is only when we are free from the constraints
of what and whom may have unknowingly,
or consciously, been holding us back from seeing
the truth of the world and of human nature,
and what some people in this day and age
will do to get ahead at the cost of the happiness of others,
that we can all begin to understand
that this world has never been anything but
a place where the best of times
and the worst of times,
as well as the best of people
and the worst of people,
are meant to interact with the world
in the only manner that they are capable,
until there is an instance when the reality
of the world has been once again changed
and replaced by one that looks the same,
and might even feel the same,
but under the surface -
though the spark of human consciousness
and creativity will continue to linger for some time to come -
there will be this ever-present artificiality
that will be so prevalent we will be unable
to distinguish it from the biological
as well from the spiritual,
and when that happens everything
and everyone will be subject to the will
of a singularity that we will continually
find it hard to escape from
because its pull is so strong,
which is why people need to retain their own independence, freedom, integrity,
and individuality for as long as they can,
because once we have strayed too far away
from who and what we are within
there is no true return to that which
has long-become a fragment
of what is now a bygone era.
A Journey Through Poetry #20: Language
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Language’, from his poetry collection The Sound of Mark, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
My Poem “If you want me, you know where to find me”
Life is a gift, an opportunity,
an experience that can only be experienced
by embracing whatever we are drawn to,
and who walks into our lives
and influences the flow of our thoughts,
feelings, emotions, and who we find ourselves
dreaming about when we didn’t expect to…
what we don’t realise is just how many
people we actually meet over the course of our lives,
because we sometimes see so many faces
that everybody becomes a blur;
however, sometimes the face of someone stays with you -
sometimes even before you find out their name -
and they change things about you
that you always thought were untouchable
and unchallenged about you…
what we don’t realise is just how many people,
over time, we lose contact with
because our shared journey with them
has naturally come to an end…
we can come to feel and to believe
that we cannot live without someone in our lives
who made us feel things from the moment
that we met them that no one else made us feel;
however, sometimes other people
have other ideas about what the definition
of “love” and “forever” might be
and over time the attention and the attitude
of certain people can shift to others
and it is as if the history that was once shared
now means nothing and is no longer
anything to focused on, nor to hold in such high regard -
and that is when relationships come to an end
and the left behind have to rebuild themselves
and their trust for others after having to suffer
through a barrage of lies…
sometimes the best way to get over someone
who hurt you in more ways than one
is to tell them that you will be alright without them
and you hope that those they burden in the future
will not be hurt by them like you have been…
personally, I used to worry too much
about what went wrong, why things ended,
and what I might have done -
but now I just walk away from those
who no longer want me in their life
with my head held high,
as I say to them with a smile and with a whisper:
“If you want me, you know where to find me”.
Mark The Poet 