holidays

My Poem “The Xmas Factor”

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

No matter what happened in the hours,
in the days, and in the months before,
at the festive time of the year
those of us who are naturally
optimistic and altruistic
like to immerse ourselves
and fully embrace the Christmas spirit
and like to spread some Christmas cheer…
no matter how hard things may have been,
and no matter what has been endured,
Christmas time is always when
those young and old like to give,
and are given, gifts both big and small,
both fun and personal,
to show how much their presence
and their connection to one another matters.

No matter how old we may feel most of the year,
at Christmas time everybody can remember
what it was like to be a child –
especially when they look at the faces
of the children who are the next generation
and you see their eyes widen
and their smiles grow after they
unwrap the gifts that they have been given…
no matter who someone is,
and no matter where someone comes from,
it is always nice to be kind to those
who don’t have what you have
and also to remind people that –
though it may appear that we all live very different lives –
that does not mean that we aren’t
integral to each other’s happiness.

Christmas is more than Christmas trees,
Christmas songs, Christmas cards, Christmas crackers,
Christmas dinner, Christmas lights, even Christmas presents,
because Christmas is about family –
and not just the family of our genetic lineage,
because “family” can include the family
of friends that we have accumulated over the years
who have stuck by us no matter what –
and that is why we should never forget who we are,
and who each and every one of us
all around the world are to one another:
one, big, human, family –
even though some people sometimes
need to be reminded of that fact.

There are lots of ways to celebrate…
there are lots of ways to make
the world a better place to live in
for those who you know,
and for those who you may never meet…
giving the gift of your time matters more
than some people might realise –
as does the gift of thinking
about others before yourself
and being the reason that people feel included…
there are many reasons to feel grateful
for what, and for whom, you have in your life –
and some of the most important
and indefinable reasons
only become apparent when it is
the right time of the year
and there is a visceral feeling of hopefulness
that can be felt, and which lies
at the heart of what Christmas is all about.

Merry Christmas!

My Poem “Christmas Special”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
Some people, some things, some places
are special all year round -
but some people, some things, some places
feel more "Christmas Special"
because they can seem to symbolise
what makes Christmas the magical
time of the year that it can be.

Some songs, some films, some episodes
of some TV shows can only be
truly enjoyed when it is
the intended time of the year
that they were made to capture the feeling of -
whether that is the old favourite
Christmas songs like:
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love,
"Last Christmas" by Wham!,
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey,
"Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues;
or festive movies, such as:
"Home Alone," "It's A Wonderful Life,"
"Miracle on 34th Street," "Scrooge,"
"Elf," or "Santa Claus: The Movie,"
and many, many others -
which over time have become
staples of the festive experience,
and without them Christmas
just would not be Christmas.

Some pieces of clothing -
such as festive sweaters and Santa hats...
some food and drink -
such as turkey, stuffing, mince pies,
mulled wine...
some decorations -
such as tinsel, baubles,
and of course Christmas trees...
some weather conditions -
such as snow and ice -
seem to go with the time of the year
when Christmas is celebrated,
but might seem out of the ordinary
and an inconvenience at any other time
before or after the month of December.

Some things just sum up what Christmas is all about
and what it means to so many people
all over the world...
some customs -
like decorating a real or an artificial tree,
or taking children to see Father Christmas -
are amazing and wonderful...
some of the rituals that people
like to partake in -
like going to church, lighting a candle,
or saying a prayer for
a dearly missed loved one -
are much needed for so many
to allow them to cope through
a sometimes difficult period
when so many people feel
at their most vulnerable...
some of the most precious
and joyous moments
you will witness all year
happen when people show how sharing,
how caring, and how selfless they can be -
and I think it is the way that people
communicate through their thoughts,
through their messages,
and through their actions,
which makes Christmas truly special.

Merry Christmas! 🎄

My Poem “Sustaining Truth”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , 
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 ‘Festive Flavours’

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

Like the smile of a sunny day…
like the cold of a Winter morning…
like the festive feeling that you see
and feel around the holiday
and Christmas season…
like the Spring flowers of the month of May…
like the anticipation that a child experiences
the night before Christmas morning…
it is at those times when things happen
that are once in a life-time,
when people come together in celebration,
when people are extra caring, sharing, and kind,
when every moment makes every day worth living,
and when joy can sometimes be a welcome contagion.

The morning light is bright…
the morning sky is unbroken blue…
the morning air has a bite…
the morning mood of everybody fills the streets,
and everywhere you go you can hear festive tunes.

There is ice under-foot…
there are people and there are things
that need to be thought of now more than ever…
there are memories from years gone by
that drift into your mind
like a flurry of snow that comes from above…
there are things that we do but once a year, perhaps,
that we should do all year-around –
however, for some reason it is at times like right now,
and it is the season, when every action that we take
resounds like the sound of a ringing bell…
now is the time for festive songs,
for festive food, for festive colours,
and for festive flavours.

My Poem ‘Soleil’

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

The sun is inspiration;
outside in the sunlight
is where everybody wants to be;
whether you live in Canada,
Great Britain, Australia, or Peru,
being touched by the sun
is a feeling that brings out
something good and happy in you –
at least it always does with me.

A sunny day always reminds me of my childhood;
a bright and beautiful morning always reminds me
and makes me think of family holidays;
watching the world and seeing it clear and golden
is how I wish it would look every minute of every day.

There is an energy that you can feel and see;
there are colours that just pop
with greater intensity and vibrancy;
there is a rhythm in the air,
like a unique music composed solely by nature,
that vibrates from every direction –
as if every atom of the world
were its own individual speaker;
there is a connection that binds us all to our maker.

Windows become mirrors;
the leaves of the trees
look as if they themselves are emanating light;
the meaning of life, and the perfection of our world,
can be perceived while swimming in an ocean of water,
or while on a boat making your way down a river;
there are worlds within worlds happening all at once,
and almost everything there is to be found
is occurring beyond our sight.

Hummingbirds, butterflies, birds, dolphins, whales,
men, women, children, animals, flowers, plants, insects –
every form of life has its own relationship
to the star of Earth’s blue sky;
to me, there are some things
that just perfectly represent and symbolize
intense and eternal love;
just like a person,
to a star there is always more than meets the eye;
to me, there will always be
something phenomenal about being
in the light of the sun.