So much has changed…
the world is so different…
when you look at the world we live in
can you believe that this is
what everything and everyone has come to?
From music to movies;
from the way we entertain ourselves
to who we choose to entertain us;
from the easy access to instant knowledge
to the immediate interconnectivity
we have with one others all around the world;
it’s sometimes hard to believe
that we have allowed ourselves to be
brought to this state of being that we are now in:
a world of perpetual uncertainty
where the rich seem to be calling all the shots
and the poor are suffering like never before;
a war of fear, instability, intimidation, and violence
being committed under the guise of securing peace…
the problem with having lived through
multiple states of change and having witnessed
things go from good to bad to worse,
if you are still someone with the clarity of perception,
you realise and you know that people
may have been better off before
we started allowing algorithms to determine
how, what, where, when, and why
we chose to do what we did -
because some days it is more obvious than others
that we are living in an age of mass social anxiety,
mental health issues, and manipulation
at the hands of those with
all the resources and power in the world.
This world is not the same
as it was when I was younger…
this planet has become
even more dangerous
than it was supposed to be…
this reality sometimes feels to unreal
that people believe we are living in a simulation -
because the way things are sometimes seems
so out of the ordinary and as if
everything and everyone is being directed
towards a particular goal and end point,
like the plot of a film, a book, or a video game…
the societies of the globe have never felt more
at odds with one another and as if
everything and everyone is teetering
on the edge of a fall from which
there may never be any recovery from,
because tensions are so high
and so many people are dying
because of the aggressive nature of those
who want to control as much as possible
just because they can.
I think we have collectively lost
more than we have gained as a species,
as a planet, as a whole,
and the problem is no one can stop
what was started years ago before,
because this world is far too deep
into the delusion and the illusion
that is daily veiled over the vast majority of people -
and as a result no one can tell
what is true and what is false,
what is real and what is fantasy,
not to mention whether who and what
we see on a screen is factually accurate
or fabricated by A.I.
and that is why it is so important
to not take anything you see or hear
virtually as being the truth until
you see and you hear the same thing
from a variety of sources,
because it is so easy to be fooled
by the clowns who have become
the enemy of the people
while claiming to represent
and have the best interests
of the majority of the population
of the world at the forefront of their mind -
when in actuality there are so many
“leaders” who are harming the people of the world
in more ways than they could ever realise
or care to take a concerted interest in;
however, that is why I believe
the world will always need those
who have never wanted to be a part of the mainstream,
those who people who know that
absolute power corrupts absolutely,
and those who just want to be
who and what they are and don’t care about
who and what they are supposed to be
and what they are supposed to do -
because this world is full of so many people
who will tell you what you want to hear,
but the real truth tellers are those who might
count themselves as a member of the community
of the world who rebel against the idea of conformity
and who are at their heart a life long “punk”.
faith
My Poem “Forty Five”
Time certainly does fly -
one minute you are young and carefree,
and the next you find yourself looking in the mirror
and wondering whose reflection
it is that you now see;
because our time and the events of our life
sometimes feel like something that happened
to someone else, somewhere else -
because what happens to us as we grow
and as we progress through the waves of change
that crash against us have a direct
and a profound impact upon us
in ways that sometimes only become
apparent years afterwards…
time is always temporary -
because every moment is unique
and sometimes only fragments can be found
that harken back to memories of experiences
remain to reflect upon and remind us
of the times of our past that always find a way
to endure in some form or another…
when we are young our birthdays
are the best days of our lives
and we look forward to them for many reasons;
however, as we get older, our birthdays
can feel more like milestones of our life’s journey
and quiet reminders that no matter
what we do we can never
undo what has been done -
and we are reminded to accept what we cannot change
and learn to appreciate who and what
still matters to us and gives meaning to us…
being a wiser man than I was,
and after going through what I have been through,
I am grateful for who I am, for what I am,
and for who and what I have in my life,
and I do not look back and think that I would change
that much from my past -
because I believe that those who were once
by my side are no longer with me for a reason,
and those who remain with me
have always been with me and always will be…
perhaps, one day, I will find myself wondering,
yet again, about who I am and how I came to be
who and what I have become
and I may have had a change of heart
and mind about what happened and why;
however, until then, I am happy to be here,
with whom I share my story with,
as I continue to wax lyrically and loudly
my belief in the power of poetry
and my ability to be a creative, productive,
optimistic and positive individual
and influence to everyone I know
and everyone I meet.
My Poem “The Line”
There are moments when we all stand
upon a line between two extremes -
a terminator between night and day,
a fulcrum of balance between order and chaos -
because there are moments when
we find ourselves removed from our lives,
removed of identity, removed of any knowledge
of who and what we are, who and what we were,
and who and what we are supposed to be;
and then follows the choice:
Which path to follow? Which route to take?
Which power within us to call upon?
Which fate to hear the voice of
and all them to dictate our destiny,
our future, our life going forwards?
And we are asked: what we would be willing
to sacrifice for what we want
and what we say we need above everything else.
It’s not always easy. It’s not always hard.
It’s not always possible to understand
how the choices of a single person
may affect the outcome of countless lives,
until you are already living in the reality you made
and are now looking back upon
how, when, where, and why you chose to do what you did.
Sometimes our choices are taken out of our hands;
sometimes our decisions are made
by others who believe they are meant
to have control over us;
sometimes our fall and our pull
towards the side and the energy
we feel the most seduced to
can feel as if it was always going
to happen and may have already happened,
and so much so that there was never any way
for us to change the course of inevitability.
We are at our most susceptible
to doing something wrong,
that at the time feels right,
when we at our most vulnerable -
and that is when and where questions are asked
and answers come quickly,
and so do actions that we may
one day wish to take back;
however, some things and some people
inevitably can never revert, nor return,
to how they once were
and we have to hone up to
the new state of affairs we may be
in some way responsible for.
Because each and every one of us -
from the bad to the good,
from the saint to the sinner,
from the faithful to the traitor -
have to go through so much throughout our lives
and each and every one of us at some point in time
must be reminded of the importance of sometimes
having to traverse what feels like a high wire
and proceed undeterred while walking
and finding ourselves veering one way or another
from the line of life that we have lived
before we found ourselves considering
the possibilities, the opportunities,
the consequences, and the rewards
of either staying upon the path of what we know
or embracing the allure of the unexpected
and putting your trust in the hope of the unknown.
Each and every one of us,
every day of our lives,
must be brave and resolute
every step of the way
that we take upon “the line”.
My Poem “Fridge Magnets”
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.
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.
Mark The Poet 