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My Books

Mark Hastings books , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Poet of the Sphere to The Sound of Mark, from The Eternal Boy to The Dreamer and The Dream, from Too Close To The Sun to Playing God, from The Wolf in Me, The Wolf in You, The Wolf in Us to Vega – The Vampire King, from The Rambler to Poet of the Multiverse, from The Comeback Kid to The Pathfinder, from The Doorman to I’ll Meet You At The Lighthouse, from The Storyteller to The Return of The Wolf, from Scales & George to The Affair, from The Shadow of The Wolf to my upcoming poetry collection The Outsider – all my published poetry and stories are all now available to buy from Amazon! Get yourself a copy now! 😎

My Poem “Tomorrow’s World”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
A new day, a new month, a new year
always heralds the arrival of a new generation
of new faces and new voices
that always bring new ideas and new perspectives
into the mix of art, music, culture, fashion,
entertainment, science, technology, and innovation
that the world is already familiar with and is known for -
but no one can know how the path of coexistence
will influence and change things and people
in ways that are hard to predict the outcome of…
as some things and some people grow
in popularity and in prominence
there are always, at first, subtle signs
that point towards a difference between two eras,
and before long a fusion of multiple states of being begins…
change is always a learning process,
and sometimes an opportunity to refocus
and what matters to you and where
you want to progress towards.

Change can be unpredictable,
and sometimes unsettling -
but as long as you keep a hold of who you are
and what you believe is your true calling in life
then the new world unveiling itself before you
will continue to welcome the inclusion
of your individual contributions…
whenever a puzzle is broken down
into its separate components,
at first, it can be hard to see the final picture
being represented -
however every detail, every shape, every colour
of everything eventually becomes more
and more recognisable and obviously
made to fit alongside one another,
but sometimes you have to push through
the barrier of frustration that can sometimes rise around you
and continue to persevere until you reach a point
where and when you realise that something new,
something interesting, something exciting,
something that has been waiting to emerge
is taking shape within your mind.

Light exists within darkness,
darkness exists within light -
because that is the way of the universe:
order and chaos, existing in a perpetual cycle
of mutual understanding that one cannot ultimately dominate the other
but both ultimately rely upon each other
for their very survival…
destruction and creation
are two sides of the same coin 
that when tossed into the air
could ultimately decide the fate of countless lives…
differences of opinions, clashes of personalities,
explosions of emotions, people of power,
weapons of war have been integral to reshaping
what life will look like for future generations
since the beginning of time,
and every so often we all have to stop
and remind ourselves of who we are
and what we are capable of if we all choose
to work together instead of against one another -
because I have always believed that good things
can come from doing the right thing
at the right time and for the right reasons,
as long as no one forgets
that the people and the things of the past
and the people and the things of the present
are what make the reality of the future
that will be tomorrow’s world.

My Poem “2024”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
The strange and the unusual…
the extraordinary and the unexpected…
life has a way of making you feel
like you are in a different world
than the one you were in before
on a regular basis, sometimes daily -
especially when you awaken in your bed
and you get the feeling that something
important has changed,
or is on the verge of changing everything.

I sometimes wonder what an earlier version of myself
would think if they were given
a snapshot of the future, and my present,
and how they would feel if they were told
what had taken place between their time and mine -
I would look so much older, so much greyer,
so much more like my father in so many ways,
and so much of what my younger self would learn
would be a shock to them just as much as
what happened was to shock to me…
I always believed that I could predict
what was going to happen and where I would be -
however no one can ever predict the outcome
of anything,
nor know what will lead to something,
unless they have foreknowledge,
or perhaps a map of all the things
that we will all encounter along
our life’s paths of multiple possibilities…
I know that even if a younger version of me
were to be given a chance to see and know
who and what they would one day be,
then they would choose to block out
what they might have learned,
because not doing so -
knowing that they could never
change anything that will happen
and has already happened -
would be something that they
would not be able to live with
without being driven mad.

Once again, this year was a time when I had to
make choices about what I wanted to do
and who I wanted to be -
and, as always, I chose to be
who I have been for as long as I can remember:
who my father tried to prepare me to be,
who people I used to know have helped me to be,
who I have always known was within me…
my life has always been one
of rebelling against expectations,
of doing what others could not
imagine I was capable of,
and of being there for those I love,
as well as never forgetting
who did what to whom, when, where, and how -
because I know better than most
that actions have consequences,
the effects of past events catch up with you,
and our past, present, and future selves
are influencing one another, sometimes subtlety,
over the continuum of our existence,
and which is why we sometimes feel
as if we have been somewhere,
as if we have done something,
or as if we have met someone before…
this year has been one of those times in my life
which will, once again, redefine me
and how I see myself whenever I look back -
because this year, like most years,
was the beginning, the end, and the start
of a new era and chapter in the story of my life,
and I wonder what will happen tomorrow
and beyond this year of regeneration:
the year that was 2024.

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 “The Great Gift Giver”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
I must admit, I have always been someone
who loves to give gifts…
whether it is someone’s birthday,
Valentine’s Day, or Christmas,
I pride myself on my ability to be able
to pick the right gift for the right person -
and I have had numerous comments
and compliments over the years
at how good I am at being able to imagine,
and eventually find,
the perfect present for someone in particular…
it isn’t always easy, and it’s not always simple -
but if I know someone, and I am already familiar
with their likes and dislikes,
then I know for a fact that I can come up with
something for them that they will like, love,
appreciate, and be something that will make use of,
perhaps cherish the memory of,
and always remember who gave it to them.

Of course, not all gifts that I have brought for some people
have been appreciated as much I hoped they would -
but that doesn’t matter to me,
because I can always say
with my hand on my heart
that I took great time, effort, and pleasure
in thinking about someone
and being drawn to buy something for them
that I knew they were meant to have,
for whatever reason…
I just have this eye for detail and this instinct
for what something represents,
and what it will mean to someone else -
but, even if someone does not initially seem
impressed by what I got them,
I always keep in mind that,
when it comes to buying presents for people,
it truly is the thought that you put into
purchasing or making something for someone
that is what really counts.

Time is the most precious thing in the world -
which is why what, and whom, you spend time with,
as well as what, and whom,
you spend your time thinking about,
should matter to each and every one of us -
and that is why we should all try not to waste
a second on someone who doesn’t appreciate
spending time with us,
nor what we do and have done for them…
I like other people’s birthdays more than my own
for the same reason I have always been a lover of Christmas,
because during the festive period
I get to show how much I appreciate people -
especially members of my family -
and present them with things from me
that I selected especially for them
because I knew what I bought would
resonate with them on a personal level…
I am sure other people spend more than me,
I am sure other people buy more lavish
and outlandish gifts for those whom they know -
but I challenge anyone to a contest
of making a connection with someone
and finding the best gift for them,
time and time again, and for every occasion,
because I know I would win every time.
Why? Because I have been told many times that,
among all my other talents,
I am, and I have always been,
a great gift giver.

My Poem “Redux”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , 
Worlds collide all the time…
things change every day…
stories begin and then come to an end -
sometimes without warning,
and without a satisfying conclusion…
the last word of someone is spoken,
the line of a character is uttered -
and then the curtain falls,
the lights go out,
and everything goes dark…
however, when some worlds collide,
a brand new world dawns,
a new wave of energy rises,
a story is retold in a new way,
and someone’s last words echo
and follow them into the next world
and the new phase of existence
that they find themselves now living.

The end of one road does not mean
the end of the journey in its entirety -
because when you leave a road
you have been on for a long time
you discover new paths
that could not have been seen before,
because you were unable to find them…
it is only when we are asked to reevaluate
where we have been, what we have done,
where we want to go, what we want to do next,
that we get the opportunity to go back -
physically, or perhaps figuratively speaking -
and undo what, and perhaps to whom,
we have been bound to for so long
and renew our relationship with things,
and with people, that has come to a point
when a test is warranted to make sure that
we are not in a situation where we are on our way
to somewhere we will not feel fulfilled, happy,
nor able to grow, learn, and see
that who and what are,
and who we are meant to be,
requires us to take the steps
that need to be taken.

The renewal of something that has
always been profound to you
can happen if you want it to -
but ultimately you might have to resist
what your head is telling you
and go with what your heart
tells you to do instead…
if you feel as if the destruction
of something, or somewhere -
even if that place only exists in your own mind
and is a fantasy world within a story -
myths and legends tell of times of war,
of sacrifice, and of end times;
however, at the end of every tale
of the end of every world,
there is always a next life that is promised,
there is always a future state that awaits,
there is always a hope of finding answers
to all the questions that you have asked in the past,
which speaks to the need of humanity
to not fear the unknown and embrace
what always has to happen -
and that is why I believe that nothing is impossible,
and everything and everyone might one day find out
that the universe isn’t what we think it is,
because the cycle of existence may be
some sort of cosmic phenomenon
that everything experiences,
and we are constantly rejuvenated,
reincarnated, and regenerated,
in a repeating and continuous process of redux.

My Poem “The Mandela Effect”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , , , 
Have you ever had the experience of
misremembering something?
Have you ever been so sure
that something happened
as you remember it happening -
but then being told, as well as being shown,
that your memory of something
is, in fact, not correct?
Have you ever heard the lyrics of a song
and then mis-hearing them,
and then singing along to the song differently -
even after you are told that the words
that you thought a song comprised of
are slightly wrong?
Of course you have. We all have.
Because everyone does.
Why? Who knows?
But, what if the reason is something
unexpected, memory-altering,
as well as reality-altering?

What if we remember things differently,
because things have been changed
from how they were to how they are now
by a change in the timeline?
You never know. Perhaps, as some people say,
we may all be living in an alternate-reality?
Because it can’t be a coincidence that
some people’s memories of the same thing can differ,
while others have a clear and similar
recollection that things definitely
occurred the way that they did -
but, for some reason, somehow, something,
or someone, has acted in a certain way in the past
and has created new memories
that have been overlaid upon 
the memories of what once used to be,
which has created a feeling of uncertainty,
a paradox of perception,
as well as a sense of what is called "déjà vu".

From quotes from a movie
to the logos of food packaging;
from the names of TV shows
to the missing tails of cartoon characters;
from an actor being remembered
for playing a film role that he never played
to the most famous example of some people
remembering something that happened -
but never happened -
which, of course, is the fact that
South African president Nelson Mandela
did not die in a South African prison in the 1980s,
as some people believe they remember he did,
and he was released from prison
and in fact died in 2013 instead;
there are so many instances of what has been called 
“False memory” about certain things,
and cited by so many people,
that I believe there might be something
more than meets the eye when it comes to
what has been coined “The Mandela Effect”.






The Pathfinder – hardcover

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

Get your copy of the hardback version of my book ‘The Pathfinder’!

Published in paperback and as an ebook earlier this year, my poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ now gets the hardcover treatment and completes the full line up of books that comprise my personal bibliography of poetry, short-stories, and novels – for now, that is.

My poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ represents my unending pursuit and my passion to continue to do what I love to do and to continue to be who and what I want to be.

To me, ‘The Pathfinder’ is a book that will always stand out as somewhat of a crossroads in many respects – because to me it signifies a place and a time when I once again took a leap of faith in order to continue to be who and what I believe I have always been meant to be, while learning from the lessons of the past that I have been taught as I have proceeded upon my path as a person, as well as my path as a writer, a poet, and an author.

You can get your copy of the hardcover version of ‘The Pathfinder’, as well as the paperback and ebook versions, from Amazon now! 😊

My Poem “Father and Son”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , 
I still can’t believe that you have left us…
I still can’t believe that you are not still with us,
because I feel you with me every day -
no matter where I am, and no matter what I am doing,
it always feels like you are standing right beside me,
it always feels like you are checking up on me
and every member of your family to see if we are alright,
it always feels like you are now an angel on our shoulder,
a messenger within our dreams,
and always reminding us that we are not alone.

Losing you was like a nightmare made real…
losing you will always be a scar upon my heart,
a shard within my mind, a fragment of chaos -
like that of the debris and the aftermath of an explosion -
that will always illicit pain within me,
and which I will carry with me every day.

You and I always shared a strong bond
and a connection that connected us
beyond anything that could ever be expressed…
you were, and you will always be,
my inspiration, my hero,
the source of my everlasting strength,
and the example I have always wanted
to embody and to emulate…
no one could ever be as loving as you,
as caring as you, as wise as you, as strong as you,
nor as willing to do what you were always ready to do
at a moment's notice for the people in your life
who meant the world to you
and who loved you unconditionally in return.

I have had to change so much since 
you passed on to the world to come -
which I believe runs in parallel to this one
and has many states of being -
and I have had to step up
and do what you used to do,
what you tried to prepare me for;
however, nothing and no one can ever know
what it takes to have to take on the responsibilities
of someone else until they have to follow in their footsteps…
every day, you continue to give me
so much of what I didn’t know I needed
exactly when you know that I need it -
as you always have, and as you always will -
and I will bask in your love, your presence,
and in your extraordinary light every moment
until the day that you and I are once again reunited
and we get to talk to each other
like we always used to…
you and I were, and still are,
so much more than what we appear to be -
because there will always be something about us
that is unique and unlike anything or anyone else,
because we are, and we will always be, special
and more than just father and son.

The Comeback Kid – republished

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

Get your copy of the hardback version of my book ‘The Comeback Kid’!

Originally published in 2023, my poetry collection ‘The Comeback Kid’ is dedicated to my Dad and it was the first book I published following his sudden passing.

The poems within ‘The Comeback Kid’ symbolise the inner strength that we must all sometimes find within us to carry on living after losing someone who meant the world to us, and who was an inspiration to so many people in so many ways – just as my Dad was, and always will be.

I honestly did not know if I would ever be able to write anything else ever again after I lost my Dad; however, while still continuing to feel my Dad’s presence, as well as my unbreakable bond and my deep connection to my Dad, not to mention his phenomenal spirit and his incredible inspiration every day, I felt compelled to continue to write and publish a collection of poetry that my Dad would have been proud of. I know my Dad was always proud of me, he always believed in, and he always instilled in me the ethos to always do my best, no matter what I did – and I try to follow my Dad’s example and words of wisdom every day.

I miss my Dad, and I always will. And ‘The Comeback Kid’ will always represent who my Dad and I have always been – and no matter what we do, nor where we are, we will never give up, and we will always make a comeback in some way.

Get your copy of the new hardcover version of ‘The Comeback Kid’, featuring a brand new cover image, from Amazon now! 😊