Being a writer is like being in a relationship -
because when a writer writes they always
find themselves creating a connection
with whatever, whomever, and wherever
they are writing about…
being a writer is like feeling as if
you want to open yourself up
to being introduced to and influenced
by people and by things that will
give you the gift of inspiration and insight
into something within you that may have been
waiting for years to be freed and shared with the world…
being a writer is like having a license
and a vehicle to express yourself in such a way
that you can use the language within you
to bring together a confluence
of the fuel of your imagination
and the natural environment of the world around you
and get to experience the immense energy
that is generated, but which is often too
intense and uncontrollable to try and contain…
being a writer is like standing in the dark
and then witnessing an explosion of light
as the sun rises over the horizon
and blesses the world with
colour, detail, beauty depth, and a perspective
that the twilight hours can only dream of
being able to show -
however at night is when a writer can feel
at their most vulnerable and their closest
to discovering the answers to
their own questions of life, the universe, people,
and why things happen the way that they do…
being a writer is like learning how to do something
that you already know how to do
but every time you do it
it feels like the first time,
and by continuing to put in the time
to expose yourself to new opportunities,
new challenges, new ideas, new ways of thinking,
as well as all the ways that have continued
to be practiced and performed to perfection
over and over again, because they feel
natural and intrinsic to the way things
are supposed to be done…
being a writer like looking in the mirror
at your own reflection -
but as well as seeing yourself
you also see and hear things, people, words,
and worlds that feel as if they need to be
seen and heard, because they feel like they are
important and meant to be
manifested in some way…
being a writer is a journey that does not end
but along the way, when you are a writer,
you might find yourself stranded -
as if you are in a boat without paddle
rushing down a river and heading towards
the drop of a waterfall;
and if you are a writer, and you think
that you have lost your sense of direction
as well as your ability to direct your course
to where you want to get to,
the key is to allow yourself to go with the flow
and dive head-first over whatever precipice
and into whatever unknown you may find yourself
upon the edge of and fly, like only you can -
because being a writer is a privilege,
because it is a blessing to be a creator, a conduit,
and a messenger of the wonderment
that can come from having a relationship
that feels effortless, meaningful, and right.
creative-writing
My Poem “All that has happened before”
Since the beginning of everything,
the universe has been remaking itself…
since the first flash of existence,
reality has been changing the definition
of what it is supposed to be…
since our version of the laws of nature
settled upon a seemingly stable form
and continued to do things in the same way,
a cycle of repetition has been what has become
the most important aspect in the process
making sure that nothing stops
and then starts running in reverse…
since the ignition of the engine of
the world in which we live within
began the series of mechanisms
that keep every single one of the worlds orbiting their stars,
as well as keep the stars of their individual galaxy
encircling the dark maelstrom of
the supermassive black hole at their centre,
nothing has been able to break free
of what was set in motion when
space, time, and all the elements of life
in all its varied forms was created by something powerful -
unlike us, but connected to us -
whose purpose was to make the most
of the moment that was needed
to bring order to chaos…
since the first eyes looked up
and gazed at the heavens above,
people have been asking: why?
Why are we here?
Why does what always happens have to happen?
Why allow us to question our existence
and to ask the ultimate question: why?
since everybody has their own
individual answer to the question
of how we got to where we find ourselves,
all each of us can do is remember
that things happen for a reason,
life is sometimes what it is
and what it was always supposed to be,
questions and the search for the truth
are what will keep people exploring
as they always have, forever;
but one thing is for certain -
and something that stories, myths, scripture,
and the picture of the cosmos that anyone
can see with their own eyes every night after dark:
all that has happened before
will happen again, and again -
because it is supposed to.
My Poem “Once Upon a Time”
It is said that every story ever told
has a beginning, a middle, and an end -
which is true, from a certain point;
however, every story of everything
and everyone is connected…
no matter when, where, or why a story is told,
and no matter how a story is told,
what a story is about, and the reason it is
a story in the first place,
is always retained within it -
because at the heart of every story
there is always a reason that binds the many
elements and fragments of a story together
that all then fit together perfectly
like the pieces of a puzzle
or the strands of connectivity
that maintain a net.
All stories have certain things in common with one another…
all stories are different, and yet similar…
all stories are true, and all stories are false -
because perception of reality is key,
and sometimes multiple people
can have varying opinions on what happened,
as well as when and why something happened,
even though they might have all been witness
to the same thing happening…
all stories change and take on a life of their own
the more that they are heard and retold -
and sometimes a seemingly insignificant
aspect of a story that captures the essence
of the tale being told can grow to have more prominence
and can become what people remember
in greater detail more than most,
because of the manner and the demeanour
of the storyteller doing the retelling.
Stories are how life communicates
aspects of itself with future generations -
just as the DNA of humanity has being doing
even before we as species emerged
from the ocean of possibilities
and we were driven to become
what we have evolved into…
there are so many recurring motifs
that repeat throughout many of the chapters
of history that seem to demonstrate
a cycle and a rhythm of some sort of
underlying pattern and system -
which is why several stories
sound familiar when they are shared,
reconstructed, and sometimes given
a new name that is more contemporary
and easier to understand from a modern standpoint…
stories can be a source of inspiration, insight,
and a key to unlocking and understanding
why something, why someone,
or why somewhere is that way that they are -
because everything, everyone,
everywhere, never stays the same -
except for those things, people, and places
that exist in the middle of nowhere
and are only discovered by those not knowing
what, not whom, they are going to find…
things sometimes get lost,
people sometimes get forgotten about,
places something get abandoned;
however, then there are those things,
those people, those places,
that refuse to be taken for granted
and always find a way to be remembered,
to be recorded, to be given a special place
in the story of history and are allowed
to continue to exist in some form,
even though they might only be responsible
for something that they never have imagined,
nor ever expected, to be given the status
of becoming a story -
because what happened, when,
where, why, and how, only happened
once upon a time.
Coming Soon: The Storyteller
Hi everyone!
I am thrilled to announce that my ninth official poetry collection, ‘The Storyteller’, will be available to purchase on February 2, 2025, in hardback and as an ebook from Amazon.
Filled with over 60 previously unpublished poems, ‘The Storyteller’ is a collection of poetry, as well an insight into the mind and the life of a writer and an author of stories – not to mention an exploration and an explanation of why storytelling is important and has always been important to humanity, as well as to life itself.
From the back cover:
I always wanted to be a Storyteller…
As we all grow, we all change and we all realise that even our heroes can bleed, even our heroes can cry, even our heroes are sometimes tested to their limits, and even our heroes are unable to live forever.
I have always believed that I am here for a reason and I have a purpose to live, to explore, and to be inspired by what I find, and by whom I meet along my journey, and to tell the stories that I believe were always waiting for me to tell – because I believe I am the only one who can tell some stories as they have always been meant to be told.
You can check out ‘The Storyteller’ on Amazon now, and as soon as it is available to purchase physically, as well as digitally, on February 2nd, I will share a link to a purchase a copy right away.
-Mark
My Poem “Lost Trust”
I have always believed
that trust was one of the most
important things in life
that can be given
and one of the most
painful things that can be lost;
however, the problem with trust
is that people are not always trustworthy -
people lie, but they always have
a reason and a motive
for why they do what they do,
and for why they say what they say.
I have been told that I am näive
when it comes to making a decision
when it comes to helping others
as well as too quick to
open my heart too easily
for others to take advantage of -
and though it pains me to admit it,
I am, and I have always been,
someone who has worn my heart on my sleeve,
and I have always given more
than I have received:
and I have been told that
that is the sign of a good person.
I am not sure if I am a "good person" -
but what I do know is that there are
people in this world who use others,
who cheat on others,
who have no respect for others,
and when it comes to making a choice
between what they want
and what others want
some people will always choose
to be selfish every time.
The number of people
whom I have trusted over my life
began small when I was younger,
and then, of course, began to grow bigger over time;
however, now I could probably count
on one hand the people
who I truly trust and why.
Love is not the allie of mine
that I used to think it was;
people have seldom been truthful with me;
my love is something I have
been too readily to offer another -
but I am here to say
that is about to change.
I have been hurt one too many times;
I have had my opinion of people
repeatedly overturned more
times than I can count;
I have done things for others
in the past the instant that they asked -
but now I am not so sure
if my ability to trust people
like I used to will ever return,
because I am recovering
from all the years and all the scars
of being psychologically,
as well as emotionally, burned.
All my muses have left me...
all who once aided my creativity
and made me believe that they loved me
have found someone else to leach from...
all I have left is what
and who truly matter to me -
those who can rest assured
that I will be there for them,
just as they have always been there for me,
because our pull to one another
is the strongest force of the universe.
All I know for sure is that
what has been lost will never return -
but one day, perhaps,
I will discover that I have
more faith to offer
and that not all my trust
has been lost.
My Poem “The Great Communicator”
Even from a young age,
everybody finds a way
to communicate with others
what they want and what they need...
from children to adults,
everybody has their own particular way
to indicate what colours they use
to paint the world of their dreams...
growing up, everybody discovers
that they have strengths that help them
interact with the world -
but now, more than ever,
people have gotten used to
interacting with others anonymously,
and they can easily transition
from who they are, what they say,
and how they are perceived in real life,
to who they want to be,
what they want to say,
and how they want to be seen virtually.
Talking and communicating with others
is an art that does not come
as naturally to some
than it does for others...
it is always miraculous
to witness a child watch, listen, learn,
and then, over time, repeat,
and even mimic, what they have heard
and what they have seen -
and the more people
that they spend time around,
and the more time that they spend
speaking and acting without thinking,
then you get to see
who they are slowly becoming,
what they like to spend their time doing,
and perhaps what aspects
of their young personality
will become more defined
as they get older.
Not everyone grows up
having people around them
who see and immediately recognise
that they are special and gifted...
some children have parents
who immediately want to mould them
into becoming another version of them -
instead of letting their child
find their own feet, find their own language,
and find out who they are supposed to be -
which is why some children defy
the wishes of their elders
and gravitate towards those
who also share the same instinct
to insight chaos instead of maintaining order.
Everybody makes mistakes
throughout their lives,
and everybody sometimes
says the wrong thing -
even though it seemed like
the right thing to say at a particular time;
but who would any of us be
if we did not have an opportunity
to readjust ourselves after
becoming sidetracked by something
that we formed a strong relationship with.
Some people seem to have such
an innate and natural ability
to be able to do something
that it can almost seem as if
they were always meant to be
who they have grown to become;
however, each of us -
no matter how old we are -
daily have to realign ourselves
to the direction that we know
we must travel towards,
but sometimes all that people need
to guide them is an internal compass
that allows them to always find
where there "True North" lies
so that they can have something to anchor them,
while they are able to seek out
the sometimes diverse realities
that are able to exist within the same world,
as well as finding joy in the act
of walking out upon a stage
that many others have done so before
and find something
that was left for them as a gift
of the great communicator.
Mark The Poet 