Year after year, century after century,
we the people of the world
gather together with our family members
and with our friends
to celebrate that which we share
and that which ties us to one another…
year after year, especially at the festive time of the year,
we the people of Earth look to the faces
of whom we have known for so long
for clarity about who and what matters the most to us…
year after year, at Christmas time,
we the people of humanity –
no matter where in the world we hail from –
find ourselves in places and alongside others
who want what everybody wants:
to be able to live our lives how, where,
and in what fashion we wish –
and the freedom to be who we want to be
is the enduring hope of all of us
who know how precious our time on this planet is…
year after year, things change faster than ever before
and in ways that we could never have imagined,
and each of us have no choice but to ride the tides
of the sea of uncertainty as best we can –
because to not do so is akin to giving up,
but we as a species have never been the giving up type,
because we as a worldwide society
have always been a gifting collective of individuals
who want every generation,
and especially the children of the next generation,
to not have to be overshadowed by the actions
and the ideals of those of previous times
who sought to keep the nations of the world divided…
year after year, we the people of the world
who only want dialogue and understanding
between all sides of the diverse spectrum
of cultures and countries that exist around the world –
though still remain who and what we are –
wish nothing more than each and every one of us
to not forget what draws us all to one another
on a subconscious level of shared awareness and responsibility
to protect and preserve who
and what made us who and what we are…
year after year, Christmas after Christmas,
the world shows just how much of life
is a constant cycle of repeating patterns
that inevitably always lead to the same result;
unless and until we are blessed
with a revelation and a reminder
that we can stop certain things from reoccurring –
such as hate, violence, war, and greed –
but only if we stop and realize that we must
sometimes relegate some things about us
that have previously been fundamental to us in the past,
because they have been holding us back;
that is why, year after year,
no matter what I have witnessed around the world
and no matter who we have all lost along the way,
I am grateful for the people
who have given me so much throughout my life,
and I remain resolute in my hope that we
can stay true to our core human values of decency,
respect, honesty, integrity, and family
that will hopefully continue to show
any who wish to know who and what we truly are
to be a world and a people who are willing
to be beacons of light when we are needed
and who exist in a state best described
as being islands of happiness and peace.
Merry Christmas! 😊🎄🥳
holidays
My Poem “The Xmas Factor”
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”
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”
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’
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’
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.
Mark The Poet 