“Father and Son” is a poem taken from Mark’s 2025 poetry collection ‘The Storyteller‘ – now available to purchase in hardback and as an ebook from Amazon.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and read a transcript.
father
Short story: “The Man in Blue” (2018) by Mark Hastings
My Poem “Dear Dad”
Whenever a beam of sunlight touches us,
whenever a red-breasted robin
comes to visit us,
whenever we see a white feather
on the path before us,
whenever we feel someone
standing beside us,
whenever we see your face within our mind,
we know that you have returned to us
to make sure we are OK,
as you put your hand upon our shoulders,
as you continue to smile
your one of a kind smile,
as your blue eyes continue to shine
brighter than the stars of night sky,
as you continue to give us the gift of you,
as well as your amazing presence and radiating spirit,
as we all continue to feel
your everlasting love.
I can not believe that it has been
a year since I last saw you,
I can not believe that it has been
a year since I last heard your voice,
I can not believe that it has been
a year since I last held your hand;
every day, I still feel our bond and our connection...
every day, I can still feel your presence
and I have felt comforted by the knowledge
that I know you are now living a life
somewhere beyond what can be seen -
because you have visited me
and you have spoken to me
now multiple times in my dreams.
Life will never again
be the same as it was...
every day I think about you,
and I can still recall how
devastated and distraught
I was when I found out
that you had been taken from us...
I am not the same as I was,
nor could anyone hope to be
following the loss of someone
who meant the world to them,
as you will always mean to me...
I will always remember all that
you gave me and all that you taught me,
and I will continue your legacy
for as long as I live...
to me, you will always be
the best father anyone ever had
and you will always be
my inspiration and my hero,
my incredible and my always
near and dear Dad.
David William George Hastings
6th January 1949 - 8th December 2022
‘VEGA – The Vampire King’ by Mark Hastings – Chapter Twelve: “The Messenger God”
‘VEGA – The Vampire King’ by Mark Hastings – Chapter Eleven: “Pandemonium”
‘Playing God’ by Mark Hastings (2018) – audio book: The Man in Green – “Pause” + “Resume”
In this episode, Mark recites the sixth story of his 2018 short-story collection, Playing God: ‘The Man in Green’ – “Pause” + “Resume”. ‘Playing God’ is a collection of “Seven stories… Seven perspectives… Seven experiences… about One Man in Black, one Man in White… Seven morality tales of one immortal Rebel, Hero, Friend, Fan, Father, Son, Playing, God”. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC
My Poem “World’s Best Dad”
There was no one like my Dad... there is no one like my Dad, and there never will be anyone like him... my Dad was the kindest, my Dad was the most giving, my Dad was the most generous, my Dad was the most loving man there ever was, and because of who he was those who were fortunate to know him and to have met him could never forget him... my Dad was one of a kind... my Dad was always thinking about others and doing things for others... my Dad had the most amazing smile and he had the most hypnotizing and the most beautiful bright-blue eyes... my Dad woke up every morning, he looked out his bedroom window as the sun began to rise, and though at times it was a struggle for him because of what life had put him through, he got up and put one foot in front of the other and he effortlessly was the best friend, the best brother, the best husband, the best father the world has ever known... my Dad was there for me all my life... my Dad will always be my greatest source of inspiration, strength, and he will always be my hero... my Dad and I shared so much together - but I would give anything to have more time with him, to do more things with him, to talk to him and to hear him say to me: "Do your best" - which was something that he used to say to me and which will always stay with me every day from morning till night... life will never be the same again, but not a day will go by when I will not think of my Dad, when I will not miss my Dad, when I will not love my Dad, when I will not do my best for my Dad; but, to be honest, I know, and I can feel, that he is still with me, that he is still with us - because he was the best man there ever was and I am the luckiest son ever to have had the world's best Dad.
A Poem A Day #424: My God Father
A Poem A Day #322: David’s Magic
My Poem “My God Father”
Forget Zeus, forget Odin –
because no other father in history,
nor within the pages of mythology,
could ever compare to my father
because my Dad will always be
one of the most inspiring, influential,
and important forces over me,
because all his life my Dad has given
the gift of his presence and he has
been there in so many ways for me
and for our entire family.
My Dad has worked all his life,
he has given back,
and he has helped others
through so many selfless acts
that embody who my Dad is,
what my Dad stands for,
where my Dad comes from,
and what has always been
important to my Dad:
his family, his friends, his humility,
his enduring spirit, and his strength
of character that is incomparable
and which is the reason why no one
ever forgets my Dad nor
all the amazing things that he
has done throughout his life.
My Dad is a hero – just ask anybody
who knows him and his name…
my Dad has been through so much –
but never do you ever hear him complain…
my Dad is the personification
and the example of the person
who you would hope and pray
to arrive – with his distinctive
blue eyes and his magnetic smile –
to save the day while using
all the power at their disposal
to bring about a miracle –
and that is why when I look at my Dad
I never see just a man,
because when I look at my Dad
I always see my father: the God.
Mark The Poet 