This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Nine Lives’, from his poetry collection The Dreamer and The Dream, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
life
A Journey Through Poetry #21: Fireworks
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Fireworks’, from his poetry collection The Eternal Boy, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
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.
A Journey Through Poetry #20: Language
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Language’, from his poetry collection The Sound of Mark, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
My Poem “If you want me, you know where to find me”
Life is a gift, an opportunity,
an experience that can only be experienced
by embracing whatever we are drawn to,
and who walks into our lives
and influences the flow of our thoughts,
feelings, emotions, and who we find ourselves
dreaming about when we didn’t expect to…
what we don’t realise is just how many
people we actually meet over the course of our lives,
because we sometimes see so many faces
that everybody becomes a blur;
however, sometimes the face of someone stays with you -
sometimes even before you find out their name -
and they change things about you
that you always thought were untouchable
and unchallenged about you…
what we don’t realise is just how many people,
over time, we lose contact with
because our shared journey with them
has naturally come to an end…
we can come to feel and to believe
that we cannot live without someone in our lives
who made us feel things from the moment
that we met them that no one else made us feel;
however, sometimes other people
have other ideas about what the definition
of “love” and “forever” might be
and over time the attention and the attitude
of certain people can shift to others
and it is as if the history that was once shared
now means nothing and is no longer
anything to focused on, nor to hold in such high regard -
and that is when relationships come to an end
and the left behind have to rebuild themselves
and their trust for others after having to suffer
through a barrage of lies…
sometimes the best way to get over someone
who hurt you in more ways than one
is to tell them that you will be alright without them
and you hope that those they burden in the future
will not be hurt by them like you have been…
personally, I used to worry too much
about what went wrong, why things ended,
and what I might have done -
but now I just walk away from those
who no longer want me in their life
with my head held high,
as I say to them with a smile and with a whisper:
“If you want me, you know where to find me”.
My Poem “Pulse”
Music matters to so many people…
Music can change people in so many ways…
Music is so important and so impactful
to so many people that it can help create
a bubble of peace, joy, inclusivity,
and isolation from the rest of the world…
Music can draw so many people together
to share so many emotions, feelings,
and memories that will last forever -
that is why so many people buy tickets
to attend concerts and music festivals
that won’t take place a long time into the future…
Music speaks to something inside each and every one of us -
especially certain songs by certain artists,
musicians, and groups who captured
the imagination of their audience and their fans
at a time and at a place when they were
looking for a wave of inspiration to carry them forward
and through a particularly formative
and challenging time in their life…
Music should always come before everything else
when it comes to why people create it
and why people choose to listen
to some songs and to some music on repeat,
over all the countless others,
and beyond how an artist or a musician might appear;
however, artists and musicians do have
a duty to respect the boundaries of the stage,
and those who have paid to see them perform,
and not let their ego overshadow their art -
but some artists like to play a part for so long
that it is hard for them to change their ways…
Music and sound is obligatory, everlasting,
and ever-present in every moment of the universe -
and the more that we listen for what is always there
the more that we understand that music and sound
has always been a powerful driving force
for people to do what their heart tells them to do
and connect them with the music and the sounds
of the consciousness of the universe
that resonates with the heartbeats of everyone
and the pulse of every star and every world.
A Journey Through Poetry #19: Forever Dreamer
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Forever Dreamer’, from his poetry collection Poet of the Sphere, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
A Journey Through Poetry #18: Light and Dark
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘Light and Dark’, from his poetry collection The Storyteller, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
A Journey Through Poetry #17: The Embodiment of Poetry
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘The Embodiment of Poetry’, from his poetry collection The Pathfinder, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
My Poem “Fearless Felix”
To the first man to jump
from the edge of the space,
who broke the sound barrier,
who successfully managed
to open a parachute
and safely return to Earth…
to the fearless Felix Baumgartner,
who was not afraid to undertake
the most daring of risks
in order to achieve their dreams
of doing what no one had done before…
to the man who caught the attention
of the entire world and who inspired
people from all around the world
to take a leap into the unknown…
to the Austrian daredevil, skydiver,
athlete, astronaut, hero
who has now sadly broken the barrier
between life and the world to come,
you will always be an inspiration
and example to many of what is possible
and what can be achieved
if we continue to chase the outer limits of our potential,
reach beyond our grasp,
and never stop being fearless.
In memory of Felix Baumgartner
1969-2025
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