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My Poem “Never See It Coming”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , 
We all can not help ourselves
from sometimes believing that everything
and everyone will remain
how we have always known them to be...
we all can not help ourselves
from sometimes taking our eyes
off the road and not always
paying attention to what or who
is approaching us...
we all can not help ourselves
from sometimes taking things for granted -
like a sacred tree that has stood for centuries
and to its admirers it is legendary;
however, then something surprising always happens,
then something shocking will occur,
then something, or someone,
will do something so out of the ordinary
and out of the realms of possibility,
and the world itself can feel to some
as if it has been changed irrevocably.

No one can know with any certainty
what will happen when they leave
their homes every morning...
no one can know what the waves of tomorrow
will take with them, nor what they will bring...
no one can know, by only using their eyes,
who or what is standing right beside them...
no one can know what someone
is thinking and feeling when they look at you,
nor what twists and turns a person will take
driven by the energy of their passion.

There are always plans being drawn up...
there is always intention
that precedes every action...
there are always fragments left over
following an unprecedented
collapse of understanding
which brings to the surface fear,
loss, and uncertainty about the future...
there are always people
coming and going, arriving and leaving -
and though we can all sometimes make ourselves and others believe that we are ready for anything,
when something happens
that perhaps feels as impactful
and as disastrous as a star
imploding and then exploding,
when the time comes for us to face
what we may need to face
we will not know what to do,
because when something
of that magnitude happens
we never see it coming.

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Twenty-Four: “I’ll be there”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Twenty-Four of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “I’ll be there?”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Twenty-Three: “Who Are You?”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Twenty-Three of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “Who Are You?”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what she must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Twenty-Two: “The Letter”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Twenty-Two of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “The Letter”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Twenty-One: “I love you”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Twenty-One of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “I love you”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Twenty: “A Vendetta of Vampires”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Twenty of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “A Vendetta of Vampires”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Nineteen: “Vis-à-vis”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Nineteen of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “Vis-à-vis”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Eighteen: “I spoke too soon”

Mark Hastings books, Podcast , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Eighteen of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “I spoke too soon”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

‘The Wolf In You’ by Mark Hastings – audiobook – Chapter Seventeen: “Seeing in the dark”

Mark Hastings Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode, Mark recites Chapter Seventeen of his 2019 novel, ‘The Wolf In You’: “I spoke too soon”. ‘The Wolf in You’ is the sequel novel to Mark’s 2017 novel, ‘The Wolf in Me’, and continues the story of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a teacher, a lover, a werewolf still trying to find a way to walk a line between two different and divergent worlds, who has to fight every day to find the strength to do what must do, and the strength to be who and what she is destined to be. When Olivia Hunter and her daughter, Melissa, begin a new life, in a new house, in a new place, new and dangerous threats reveal themselves from the shadows and push Olivia and the Wolf within her to the limit; however, along the way, Olivia finds a new love in the shape of a mysterious and enigmatic man who is not what he seems, and who himself is fighting a fight for survival. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

My Poem “The Poetry Only I Could Write”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , , , , , 
No one is born
with a pen in their hand...
No one is born
with experience in their head...
No one is born
with the knowledge of who they are
and what they are supposed
to do with their life...
No one is born
with all that they could ever need;
however, everybody is born
with the potential to become
anything, or anyone,
and if we are lucky
then we get to be born to,
and brought up with,
parents and guardians who will give us
more than we could ever dream.

I was, I am, and I will always
consider myself one of the lucky ones -
because from the moment of my birth
I was given uncontainable
and unconditional love
by my Mum and my Dad...
I was, I am, and I will always be
a dreamer who will do whatever I can
to make whatever I can imagine a reality...
I was, I am, and I will always be
the one who will never allow
darkness to eclipse to the light
that throughout everything
I have had to go through
has kept me from going mad...
I was, I am, and I will always be
someone who will never give up
on anything or on anyone
whom to me beams with an ever-glowing
essence of pure joy and poetry.

I have always believed
and I have always shared my belief
that everything happens for a reason...
from the moment that
the wolf within my soul
began howling as a result
of the love that I felt,
which eventually inspired my first poem
and all that have followed,
I knew that I was who
and what I am for a reason...
I have always loved making connections
physically, intellectually, emotionally,
and allowing myself to fall
like a shooting star to Earth
and find myself somewhere
I have always been fated to be
with people whom I have always
been destined to meet...
from the instant that the spark of inspiration
within my mind was ignited,
I have always known that
only I could have seen what I have seen,
only I could have been to where I have been, 
and only I can think, imagine, express,
and write the poetry
that only I could write.