don’t

My Poem ‘Don’t be afraid of the dark’

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t be afraid of the dark –
because it is in the dark
where we find the brightest lights
and the most beautiful sights
in the universe…
don’t afraid to close your eyes –
because when we close our eyes
we dream and we see
our internal hopes looking back at us…
don’t be afraid to believe
what you want to believe –
because it is in the act
and in the art of belief
that we learn to see
the beauty of things and people…
don’t be afraid to remember
where you have been and what you have seen –
because remembering is like time-traveling
into the past, and it can help you
to make sense of what you see
and where you find yourself in the world.

When I was a child I was afraid of the dark –
but then I found out what had been waiting
for me all my life, one night while I was staring
up at a sky full of stars…
it was like one of the stars has descended to Earth
from the heavens and had indelibly left its mark…
while growing up I discovered
that even silent nights are filled with music,
and even seemingly blank pages
are secretly emanating inspiration…
the more that I have lived
the more that I have been bitten
repeatedly by the bug of universal fascination.

I used to be afraid of dark rooms –
however, now I find them fascinating places…
I used to be scared of walking dark streets at night…
I used to have this fear about people
forgetting my name and my face –
but now I know that there is more to see
than what can be seen with our eyes…
there is so much more that contributes
to the answer that we all give when we die,
when we are asked: what was the meaning of your life?

Hold on to no fear…
don’t miss what you do not need…
hold onto what and who you love –
even if doing so sometimes brings you to tears…
don’t be afraid to ask for help –
because there is always someone
who can hear you and will listen…
letting go of something makes you realize
why it is important to hold on to something
for as long as you can –
but sometimes life can go by so fast
that when you look back on everything you have done
it can seem like the still image
of a picture-postcard photograph…
sometimes it is where and when
you do not expect to find things
that you come face to face with miracles –
so, if you have children do not forget
to teach them, and remind everyone else,
that is against the blackest of backgrounds
that we see the brightest of sparks…
and it is ok to open and close your eyes
and to not be afraid of the dark.

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My Poem ‘Don’t Panic’

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t panic, if you ever find yourself
in an unfamiliar place;
don’t panic, if you are a writer
and your pen suddenly runs out of ink;
don’t panic, if you don’t win in a race;
don’t panic, if you find out that life
is not what you think.

Don’t panic if it’s raining –
because the sun will eventually come out;
don’t panic, if you lose something
that means something to you;
don’t panic, if you don’t have unlimited wealth;
don’t panic, if there are clouds above –
because above those clouds
there is a sun shining in a sky the colour of blue.

Don’t panic, if you don’t know everything;
don’t panic, if you can’t do what you want;
don’t panic, if something feels like it may be ruined;
don’t panic, if you want to be somebody – but you can’t.

Don’t panic, if you’re late for something –
because you are meant to be there when you are there;
don’t panic, if you feel that something
is sneaking up on you by surprise;
don’t panic, if someone looks at you and stares;
don’t panic, if your plans might need to be revised.

Don’t panic, if the house you built is blown away;
don’t panic, if you are in the middle of a city
and you don’t know where to go;
don’t panic, if someone comes into your life
but they cannot stay;
don’t panic, if you feel like things
are building up around you too much for you to cope.

Don’t panic, if every light you come up against is red;
don’t panic, if things feel like they are going in reverse;
don’t panic, if you gambled and lost –
or you put something on what seemed like a ‘sure thing’,
and you eventually lost the bet;
don’t panic, if you don’t see everything in life –
because there is no one alive
who will ever know everything,
or will ever have seen everything in the entire universe.

Don’t panic, if you are ever running late;
don’t panic, if everything feels manic;
don’t panic, if you have to wait;
whatever happens, whatever you have to do,
don’t worry about the things that happen
in the world around you that you can’t control –
because the universe has its own plans;
and even though you and everyone has a part to play,
the best thing you can do is to do what you know,
and don’t panic.

My Poem ‘Don’t stay silent’

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Every day, someone is abused by someone else;
every hour, someone is subjected
to a storm of words that cut like a knife;
every minute, someone – a child, a man,
or even just a woman walking her dog –
is made to feel as if they are just a piece of meat,
a punching bag, and attacked like a wild animal,
and beaten both verbally and physically,
and looked upon as someone who is helpless,
and THIS MUST STOP! THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN!
Everyone who just wants to live their life
and walk through life unimpeded and unscarred,
deserves to have that god-given freedom and rite.

I am disgusted to hear that son’s
who have not been taught how to respect a woman,
or any human being, are terrorizing women of all ages
and giving them nightmares of fear;
I am at a loss to understand
what gives anybody the rite to make someone
burst into tears;
I cannot believe that in this day and age
abuse is still happening behind closed doors,
as well as in broad-daylight.

Rape, or even the threat of rape, is intolerable;
abusers in all shapes and forms
must be held accountable;
we must all do all that we can
to educate children to respect
their fellow man and woman;
and our animals also need protecting –
we must all do all that we can
to stop all despicable acts of abuse of every kind,
and it should be one of society’s most important pledges.

People’s stories of abuse deserve to be told
and brought into the light,
and they should not be quietened.
Abuse needs to be spoken about and eradicated,
and the victims of abuse,
for the sake of those who are too afraid to speak out,
must not continue to stay silent.

My Poem ‘Your Thing’

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Whether its writing, or dancing,
reading, or believing,
capturing, or speaking,
photographing, or modeling,
driving, or treating,
walking, or exploring,
making, or faking,
acting, or searching,
mixing, or fixing,
painting, or crafting,
counting, or adjusting,
growing, or assisting,
building, or remembering,
caring, or sharing,
copying, or exercising,
thinking, or feeling,
moving, or playing,
watching, or listening,
whoever you are, whatever you do,
we all have something that we do
that is close to our heart,
and something that is
as much of your soul and your identity,
that will always be a part of you.

Some of the most important things to know about us
are hidden from view, most of the time;
we all wear a mask
that covers our secret thoughts and feelings;
some of the things that spend their life
tentatively waiting to show themselves,
sometimes appear unexpectedly;
no matter how passive we are most of the time,
we all do our share of relating
to the things about other people
that are not exactly the things
that we would say define or describe us;
however, I always find the discover of something
new about someone I thought I knew,
that sometimes comes out of the blue,
enlightening and inspiring;
and a new question is always a mystery
I cannot ever decline.

Whether you sing,
or whether you express yourself in another way;
whether you are comfortable in the limelight,
or perhaps never like being the centre of attention;
whether your perfect day is being with your friends,
spending time with your family,
or spending some time on your own;
what emanates from you subconsciously,
and what you see as the best, and the most amazing,
is something that,
no matter what anyone else says or thinks,
is fantastic, and if it makes you happy
then that is amazing.
Do what you know;
know what you do;
keep going where you go,
and don’t stop doing your thing.