Each of us are sentimental
for the way things were,
for the places we have visited,
for the people we have met,
as we have lived our lives
and as we have experienced
one memorable moment after another,
and because we all want to remember
as much as we can about what we have seen,
where we have been, and whom we have known,
each of us always find a way to retain
a fragment of our journey through our lives
in the form of mementoes that we return home with
and place in places of prominence
where we can see them
and whenever we want to be reminded
of who we were, where we were, how we felt,
and with whom we shared our time with.
We are all sentimental about our relationships -
and some people are sometimes
seemingly so desperate to show others
just how lucky they are to have what they have,
and just how fortunate they are to be able
to go where, and to do what, they are able to -
because they seem to have this need
to share everything with everyone
and not leave anything for themselves…
each of us are sometimes guilty
of being so self-indulgent that we cannot see
that we may be causing more harm than good
by being so open about things
that need not be said, nor shown,
because not everyone has the same means
to be able to make their dreams a reality.
In this day and age of social media platforms,
and in this time of social pressure
to have what others have,
each of us sometimes feel forced
to have an opinion on something, or someone,
and then voice that opinion for all the world
to see, and to read, just because we can -
however without fear of any real world repercussions…
I sometimes find it hard to believe that I,
and many others like me,
used to live in world that was so different
and so much more simpler not that long ago -
at least, in retrospect, that is how it feels -
because I still remember a time
before the interconnected system
that we are all used to and rely on these days:
a time of telephones with wires which you had
to answer to know who was calling;
a time of letters and postcards
that had to be handwritten and sent with a stamp;
before that advent of electronic mail,
texts, and direct messages…
like I said before, each of us are incredibly sentimental -
at least I am and my generation is,
as well as the generation before;
however, I wonder whether the people of the future
will be as sentimental about things, about places,
about experiences, about people as I am -
because we have already seen synthetic life
and artificial intelligence become
more and more common and hidden plain sight,
and there is no knowing what the world of tomorrow
will look like, nor if people will one day
give up on face to face interactions
and seeing the truth and the beauty of nature
in real life, and now just on a screen.
Personally, I hope that the more that some things will change
the more that some things will always remain the same -
because though some things and some people
must evolve if they are to survive,
our world is what it is and what it has always been
because its population has taken great pains
to not forget who built what we have
and who is responsible for what we have accomplished,
what we have created, and what we can achieve
if we remember that we all have
the capacity to work together
and to share what we have with one another -
and one thing I hope never changes
is the reason why people love
buying things that they don’t need
but which they convince themselves
will always mean something profound to them:
the same reason why we cherish childhood drawings;
the same reason why we frame diplomas
and awards and hang them from our walls;
the same reason why some people keep
objects that only have a certain amount
of value and significance to us
because they remind us of something,
somewhere, or perhaps someone;
and the reason why we continue to take photographs
and attempt to capture moments in time;
and the reason why we buy symbols
in the form of fridge magnets
so that we can be reminded
of that which will continue
to be replayed within our mind,
as if we could return to where we were
when we bought them
just by looking at them and remembering.
faith
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.
My Poem “The Last Word”
Where would we be without language?
Where would we be without a way to communicate
and share what we want to say?
Where would we be without the ability
to express ourselves?
Where would we be without the means
to learn, to interpret, to understand,
to create, to make, to give something,
or someone, a voice to be heard?
The first word spoken by someone
is always a magical moment worth remembering…
the first time the sound that someone makes
can be understood by someone else
is always wonderful to behold…
the first instance that someone achieves something
is always worth celebrating and recording…
the first thing that someone thinks about
and reaches for after they awaken
speaks volumes about what matters to them
and what they treasure as preciously as gold.
Some people love to meet and talk to new people,
because it gives them an opportunity
to engage with someone on a personal level,
and also to make a connection
that they always feel empowered by…
some people find it hard to speak and to be heard,
because for some reason something within them
always tells them to stay quiet
and not call too much attention to themselves -
while those on the opposite end of the spectrum
are always looking for an opportunity
to get their point across
and to get their own way of thinking
and doing things recognized by others as
the most valuable and important.
Everybody always has someone
who they respect and return to
and could listen to whatever they said
for hours on end because they are such
an amazing and entrancing source of knowledge,
information, energy, and joy -
but who would never admit to being
amongst the wisest of individuals in the world…
some people are generally interested in all aspects
and in all the multiple colours and shades of life -
while some people only really care about
what they think is relevant;
some people are generous in so many ways
and they like to give others exactly
what they can see that they need,
including: their time, their attention,
as well as the space to make the first move
in confiding a long and deeply held truth -
while there are those people who are unwilling to
accommodate the other side of a story
and will not give up on their own narrative
and opinion of something even after being presented with facts and evidence to the contrary;
however, there are always those people
who always like to be the centre of attention -
who not only have to have the first word in every conversation,
but also the last word as well.
My Poem “All my life/All my loves”
All my life I have known the gift of love…
all my life I have believed in,
and I have felt the power of,
the connection that can be shared
between two people who were always meant to meet…
all my life I have known the beauty of angels…
all my life I have believed that things happen
because they are meant to happen…
all my life I have been surprised
at how quickly my heart can be captured
by the way that someone who I have never met before
can take my breath away and make me feel
as if I have found my partner in crime
and the one who would always love me
just as much as I loved them,
from the moment of first sight…
all my life every relationship that I have had
has been a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions,
and there have been times when I would have done
absolutely anything for someone
in particular if they asked…
all my life I have trusted my instincts -
and most of the time my instincts
have been proven right,
but what I didn’t realise when I was younger
was that everything and everyone has their limits…
all my life I have always wanted
everything to work out for the best for me
and for those closest to me…
all my life the word “love” has been weaponised against me,
as it has been whispered into my ear,
and it has always found a way
to overcome all my emotional defences…
all my life I have never taken my love for someone for granted -
however, I have watched others suffer
as a result of being used, lied to,
and cheated upon by those who
are capable of saying one thing
but doing the complete opposite…
all my life - and despite my own experiences
with those people who are not how they
portray themselves to those who don’t really know them like I was able to -
I have never doubted that I would always be in love
with someone, with something, with somewhere,
because I have always been an optimist,
a romantic, and a poet at heart…
all my life I have allowed myself to be fooled
into believing that something can last forever -
which I don’t think is a bad thing,
because I do believe that there are rare cases
when two souls are destined to be together
and are always going to be a part of
one another even after death…
all my life the world has always made more sense to me
when I knew that I was not alone
and that someone wanted me to succeed
more than they wanted the same for themselves…
all my life I have been trying to be the best I can be,
but I have discovered that doing your best
is not always enough to get you
to where and to what you really want to be -
because everyone’s life is not only
defined by their actions,
but also by the actions of others;
however, I believe that if I were to be defined
in some way, by something, or by someone,
then the best way would be
to go back over the course of my life
and see, hear, feel, read, and understand
how much I have done
for all those who I have ever loved.
Short story: “The Man in Green” (2018) by Mark Hastings
‘Playing God’ by Mark Hastings (2018) – The Complete Audiobook
My Poem “Sustaining Truth”
Every holiday celebrated around the world means different things to different people... everyone has an affinity for some celebrations more than most... Easter, for example, is a time when people young and old get to share gifts of all sorts - from chocolate eggs to traditions that for generations have been passed down and practised because their message has always been so meaningful... the message of Easter, to me, is that salvation can be found by those who sometimes feel lost. Every season has symbols that embolize them... every morning and evening shares a vision of light that is heavens sent... every now and again we are all asked to do without something in order to understand its essense - like at the time of Lent. Every faith rose and was inspired and influenced by all others since our ancestors began to worship and give names to the constellations of the stars of the night sky... every way to live on Earth has its own lessons and its followers have their own trials to go through... everything that happens in life must be accepted and sometimes weathered - just like a boat must ride the infinite number of ocean waves that are like ripples in the fabric of time... every holiday has a reason to be embraced, because humanity has always relied upon the continued stories, the ongoing mysteries, and the significant figureheads that are at the core of their sustaining truth.
My Poem “Miraculous and Extraordinary”
All around the world,
today is the holy day of Easter Sunday…
today is the day which is remembered,
revered, and is considered remarkable by many,
because it is said that on the same day
two thousand years ago
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was resurrected
and is said to have ascended;
and Easter Sunday is also the day
when those in the Northern Hemisphere
celebrate the beginning of spring,
and for centuries people have
gathered together and feasted
in honour of the Germanic
goddess of the dawn Ēostre –
and it is the symbols associated
with her worship where we get
our modern customs of owning rabbits
as well as the buying and the giving
of chocolate eggs to one another.
Today is an Easter and a Sunday
that many of us will remember
for many years, for many reasons –
just as people will always remember the Easter
that we all had to endure
at this same time last year,
when the vast majority of the population
of humanity had to start living
seemingly in bubbles of isolation
away from family, friends, and co-workers;
and a year on, the world is still trying
to find a way through to the other side
of this pandemonious world wide disaster –
but everywhere that I look
around the world there are
reasons to be hopeful and optimistic
that by this time next year
we will have found a way to adapt to,
get past, and resist the worst of
what is left of what we may
always have to live with.
Today is Easter Sunday
and to be honest I can think of
no better day to be truly grateful
for what each of us have
and who each of us have in our lives –
because each of us over the past year
have had to witness people
from all walks of life having to make
sacrifices
and changes to their life from which
there will never be a way back;
but what we never change for some people
is their ability to never stop believing
that with patience and time
the restrictions on livelihoods will end
and all people who are able
will once again be free –
and if there is anything that daily
impresses me about humanity it would have to be
how some people can keep going,
how some people can keep believing,
how some people can keep
keeping the faith, no matter what –
which, to me, is a supernatural power
that is both miraculous and extraordinary.
My Poem “Keep the faith”
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 “Y.O.L.O.”
In this life
you can’t stand still –
because if you stand still too long
then you might find yourself
falling through life,
as if you were once standing upon
a sheet of ice but have fallen
into a freezing-cold lake…
in this life if you want to experience
the world to its fullest
then you have to venture to places
where you have never been before…
in this life if you want something
then you must reach out as far as you can,
as if you were below a dark ocean
and searching for a life-preserver of light…
in this life each and every one of us
are given an opportunity to shine
like a star in our own way –
whether it is as an artist,
as a teacher, as a parent,
or as an inspiration for the next generation…
in this life doors open wide
and we are asked to take a chance on fate,
and we have to seize every once in a lifetime
opportunity before it is too late…
in this life time is too short
to regret fulfilling experiences
that took you on a journey in some way…
in this life you have to take care
and treat every step that you take
as if it were a part of a dance…
in this life you have got to take leaps of faith,
leaps of belief, leaps of hope, leaps of happiness –
because, in this life, you only live once.
Mark The Poet 