life

A Poem A Day #63: The Letter

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , ,
“The Letter” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

My Poem “The Christmas Spirit”

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , 
As so often happens,
I was sitting at my usual table
in Starbucks when a song
that I had never heard
by one of my favourite artists -
the one and the only "Man in Black",
Johnny Cash - started to play...
the song was "I Heard the Bells
On Christmas Day" -
and as soon as I heard
this Christmas carol
in its own right that blessed all
who heard it "peace on Earth"
and "goodwill to men",
I started to think about
the true meaning of the season
and why music has always
been an important way
for families and individuals to say
what they want to say to one another.

Music is just as fundamental to some
as living is to breathing for others...
the voice of a singer can break down
barriers and unite people
from many countries, with many accents,
with many back stories -
who can all find times to set aside
their differences whenever they
come together and stop and listen
to someone with a message
they felt within their heart
as well as within their mind
that someone else needed to hear.

Christmas songs are only played
at this time of the year,
and every year new songs
are written and recorded by artists
that dream of being number one
and perhaps remembered
as fondly as those that repeatedly
return to our ears year after year;
however, I would say there are only
a handful of Christmas songs that are
enjoyed, replayed, and loved by many:
John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over),
"Last Christmas" by Wham!,
"White Christmas" as sung by Bing Crosby,
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid,
"Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues, and, of course,
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey -
because these songs have over time
become quintessential in capturing the Christmas spirit
like no others are able to,
and personally all these songs always
put a smile on my face every time I hear them
and make me more and more ready for Christmas
and overflowing with Christmas cheer.

A Poem A Day #62: The Christmas Spirit

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , , ,
“The Christmas Spirit” is a poem by Mark Hastings, written in 2021, which can also be read on Mark’s website http://MarkThePoet.Me – as well as hundreds more. All poems © Mark Hastings

A Poem A Day #61: FTL (Faster Than Light)

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , ,
“FTL” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

A Poem A Day #60: Heaven: 2011

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , ,
“Heaven: 2011” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

A Poem A Day #59: What I’ve always wanted

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,
“What I’ve always wanted” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

A Poem A Day #58: Back to the Spark

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , ,
“Back to the Spark” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

A Poem A Day #57: Dear John Lennon

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,
“Dear John Lennon” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

A Poem A Day #56: Flourish

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , ,
“Flourish” by Mark Hastings was taken from Mark’s poetry collection ‘Poet of the Sphere’ which was published in 2012 by Zeloo Media. Check out more of Mark’s poetry online @ http://MarkThePoet.Me – all poems © Mark Hastings

My Poem “First Christmas”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , 
I don't remember my first Christmas;
but then again, who does?
However, I will always remember
the first Christmases of others -
and Christmas this year
will always be special to me,
because this year will be the first Christmas
of the boy who smiles at me
every time I smile at him:
my new nephew, Milo.

I envy my nephew,
because every day he gets
to experience things
for the first time in his life -
and very soon he will
get to meet Father Christmas,
he will get to receive his
first Christmas presents,
and he will be able to go out
into the snow with his parents
and help them build a snowman.

This year will be the first time
in a long time that our family
has welcomed a new addition -
and what better time is there
for all of us to gather together
and around the embodiment
of our family's love and affection
who is in our eyes nothing short
of being an angel who we love
nothing more than to see
happy and smiling from ear to ear.

This year has been a roller-coaster
for many people around the world;
but, for my family, my nephew
Milo has been the miracle
that I always knew he would be to us
from the moment that he was born -
and even though I know that he
probably wont remember
any of this time when he is older,
I hope that he will always
think back and know that 
he was always loved
and that if our family had
anything to say about it
then Milo's first Christmas
would be a time in all of our lives
that we would never forget.