love

My Poem “So much to love”

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

There is so much to love about life…
there is so much to love about nature…
there is so much to love about the side
of the world that is seen during the day
and there is so much to love
about the side of the universe
that only reveals itself during the night…
there is so much to love about
how people care for one another,
how people are drawn to one another,
and how people choose to show
their love and devotion of one another.

There is so much to love about
certain people in our lives
than we could ever put into words…
there is so much to love about
how some people help those
who cannot help themselves
that is something instinctive than anything
that over time could ever be learned…
there is so much more to love about
the intrinsic language of the seasons
than our human ears could ever possibly hear…
there is so much to love about
those people who sacrifice their own lives
in order to give others a reason not to fear.

There is so much to love about
the things that we may see every day
that we may sometimes take for granted…
there is so much to love about
the mementos of memories that we
have made and the rembrances of experiences
that we surround ourselves with
that are a permanent fragment
of time that cannot ever be repeated…
there is so much to love about
a moment of silence when you can
look within yourself and know that
what and who you have in your
life are more than enough.

We cannot always get what we want –
but during our lives we are given gifts
that always remind us that though life
can sometimes be tough we can all find
an example of something or someone
who has qualities about them that draw
us to them because there is something about them
that there is so much to love.

Mark The Poet – The Podcast: Episode #70: “Preciousness”

Mark Hastings books, life, me, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode Mark recites three of the most recent poems that he has written: “Naturally Reflective”, “Every New Someone”, “Loyal Companion”, and he reflects upon who he is, what he misses, and why life and the time that we all have is so precious and should not be wasted.

My poem “It’s a Boy!”

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

On the 21st of January, 2021,
my sister Clare and my brother-in-law Ben
were blessed by the birth of their baby son –
and I just wanted to write something
to welcome this brand new gift of hope
to the world and reassure him that
for all the days of his life
he will always be blessed by love.

Last night there was storm of rain,
but at the moment that my sister Clare’s
baby boy was born the clouds literally parted
and the sun shone upon everyone
brighter than it had done so for months –
and as soon as I was told that my new nephew
had arrived safe and sound
and was in his mother’s arms
I immediately felt this overwhelming
feeling of pride for what my sister had done
and I quietly conveyed my belief
that no matter what happened
my new nephew could rest assured
that he would never knowingly
come to any harm.

The ability to create new life
is one of the greatest gifts in the universe…
the phenomenon that someone
who you have known all your life
can still find ways to surprise you
in rising to the occasion of becoming
something bigger than themselves
is truly an awe-inspiring and a breathtaking
superpower that to me has always
been beyond any words.

I have never been prouder
of my sister Clare than I am today…
I have never been happier for anyone
than I am for my sister Clare
and for my brother-in-law Ben right now
because of the arrival of their new
buddle of love and joy…
I have never wanted to meet anyone
like I am looking forward to meeting
my new nephew…
I have never been more overjoyed
to share any news with anybody
than I am to say that my family now has
a brand new beacon of hope in our lives
in the form of a beautiful baby boy: Milo!

🥳🎊🎉🧑‍🍼🤱👶😍

My Poem “Celestial Love”

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

Let us take to the road
and we’ll go for a drive…
let us take out a boat
and we’ll sail upon the waves
of an ocean all day and all night…
let us take a plane
and we’ll fly to Spain…
let us take a hot air balloon
and we’ll drift above dark clouds
full of thunder and rain…
let us take a rocket
and we’ll launch into space…
let us float above the Earth in zero-gravity
and we’ll look down at everybody
and wave as we hold one another
in an out of this world embrace…
let us fall asleep side by side
on a starship to a solar system
that has two stars within it instead of one
and before we know it we’ll be waking up
and having to convince ourselves
that what we are seeing is better than a dream…
let us make a new home for ourselves
upon the surface of an alien planet
that looks like Earth but which
from orbit looks to be more blue than green –
and after we settle down upon
this new place of possibility
we’ll look up to the stars above
through a telescope and find
Earth’s flickering blue glow
and we’ll both look at one another
and agree that even in comparison
to all the wonders of the universe
there has never been two souls
who have always been meant to be,
because our life is a constant
celebration of our celestial love.

My Poem “Heaven on Earth”

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

I have never loved anyone
like I love you and from the moment
that I saw you I knew that I
wanted to be with you every moment of my life,
while I am still here on Earth
and for an entire eternity into the afterlife…
from the instant that I stared
into your beautiful eyes I saw
the most perfect dream of beauty in existence,
and from that moment
and every moment that we
have shared afterwards –
like a firework exploding in the
night sky on the Fourth of July –
you have brought true love into my life
that eclipses any and every other
light of the universe there has ever been…
every day you inspire me,
every day you invigorate me,
and every day you give me
all that I could ever want or ever need:
you, my perfect angel, my beautiful muse –
the one who never stops saving my life…
I love you with all my heart and all my soul
and to me you are and you always will be
the personification of heaven on Earth.

Mark The Poet – The Podcast #49

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

‘Me and My Ukulele’ by Mark Hastings

Mark Hastings me, music, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,

There are times when I am in my room, thinking about what I am going to write about next, when I just reach for the hand-built DIY ukulele that I bought and I put together piece by piece, and just start strumming and creating whatever music I am inspired to play. It’s so invigorating! It’s so captivating! I never thought that I would get so attached to a musical instrument, but from the moment I built my ukulele, and I started plucking away at the strings, I began to feel this connection with it and with the music that I could produce… and I absolutely love playing my ukulele whenever I can, just for fun, just so that I can make some kind of music – music that I can feel on a subconscious level, and music that means something profound to me! 😊🤟🪕🎶🎵

My Poem “My Hero”

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

Family has always meant
everything to my Dad
and my Dad will always mean
everything to our family…
my Dad is the heart of our family,
the one that we take
all of our strength, our love,
and our inspiration from,
and he means more to all of us
than could ever be expressed…
my Dad has often had to suffer
the scars of all the battles
that he has found himself drawn into –
both physical and emotional;
however, my Dad has never given up,
my Dad has always put
everyone else’s thoughts, feelings,
and needs before his own,
and my Dad has always been there
for his children when they
needed him the most…
my Dad is such a phenomenal
role-model, a beacon hope,
and his natural blue eyes
and his magnetic smile
is always reason enough
to smile in return and believe
that even the darkest of days
can be turned around with a ray
of sunshine in the form
of someone selfless and special…
the gift that is my Dad
is the one that I have been blessed
to have in my life all my life,
and I would not be anything
without the super-human man
who will forever be an inspiration
to me in so many ways:
the one who first taught me
the meaning of working hard
for whatever it is that you desire,
and the one who daily shows me
that nothing is ever impossible,
because my Dad –
David William George Hastings –
is and always will be my hero.

My Poem “The Season of Perpetual Hope”

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

Merry Christmas, everyone!
I hope you have a great Christmas Day!
I hope you get what you want,
I hope you get what you need,
I hope you get what you have always wanted,
and I hope that you enjoy your time
with your nearest and dearest
and I hope that every hour
is full of love, joy, happiness,
music, and limitless festive cheer!

I hope you smile, I hope laugh,
I hope you enjoy the food, the drink,
and the precious gifts of moments in time
that you share with those who know you
and who care for you
and who know you the most!
I hope the sun shines down on you today!
I hope you experience moment after moment
of intoxicating interconnection
that reminds you to cherish
every memory that you make
with everybody who could never be replaced!

I hope that all the people who you love,
who you unfortunately cannot be with physically,
know just how much they mean to you,
that you could never live without them,
and that no matter where in the world
we all are there is nothing that can stop
the power of love and devotion!

This is the day when we all wish
that we could say what we really want to say,
when we wish we could express
to certain people in our lives
what they mean to us –
but most of the time it is the thought
that someone in particular is in your life
and the fact that they tell you
that they want to be there for you
which says more than any words could ever describe!

This is the season when some people
realise what brings true joy into their lives,
and when they understand
what the true message of the season is:
because Christmas time, to me at least,
is the season of unconditional love,
it is the season of unlimited joy,
it is the season of unfathomable beauty –
and in my opinion every moment of every day
should be one unending and timeless season
when everyone can experience miracles
of happiness and perpetual hope
when and where they least expect them.

My Poem “Dear John Lennon (2011)”

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

Back in 2011, I wrote a poem called “Dear John Lennon” about the one and the only John Lennon and since today is the 39th Anniversary of his ultimately passing I just wanted to share it again as my tribute to one of the most amazing and influential artists of our time whose influence over the people of the world continues in so many ways will never be forgotten. If you have read it before I hope you will enjoy it again! 😌

“Dear John Lennon”

One of the most phenomenal,
inspiring, magnetic, influential,
and amazing men, musicians,
and poets, of the 20th Century –
you have had a remarkable impact
on my life, my Dad’s life,
and on the lives of millions of people
all around the world,
because you were the epitome of humanity,
and you always will be.

Your music has filled the homes,
the hearts, and the minds,
of my family, since before I was born –
in fact, the first Christmas present
that my Mum brought my Dad
was a copy of your album ‘Double Fantasy’,
and the album that I know my Dad
thinks about when he thinks of you
and he wishes to mourn.

I would have loved to have known you,
to have met you,
and to have talked to you, John;
even if it were only for a minute –
after listening to every one of your songs,
and the songs of The Beatles,
I have felt many times that you were
talking directly to me, to everyone-
and to this day, and beyond,
I feel as if your voice,
and your message has no limit.

You wrote and created some of
the most incredible, moving,
amazing, and true, songs
that I have ever heard –
every song is like
an amplifier of my own
thoughts, memories, troubles,
and hopes, and I am inspired
and enlightened by every word.

You are, were, will always be,
us, all, me, and everyone;
you believed, and you saw,
that the best of life, and the world,
can be achieved through peace, love,
and through striving to be
the best that we can become.

To me, you are one of
the greatest men to have ever lived,
and everyday I mourn you
like I would a brother;
you changed the world during
your short time on Earth
for the better, and forever;
and who you were, and what you
and your music mean to people,
is a star so bright it will
never be eclipsed by another.

Everyday your music reaches out
to people so profoundly
that they can not imagine a world
in which you were not a part of it;
everyday the love that you had within you,
and the love that people
will always feel for you,
manifests all over the world,
and enlighten’s your spirit.

You will live forever,
your voice will echo for all-time
through the minds and the hearts
of all who hear your voice –
tomorrow, a century from now,
and especially today,
the 8th of December, 2011;
I believe the world will one day
live in peace with one another, as one,
and fulfill your dream:
the dream of dear John Lennon.

RIP John 😢