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 ‘Continue On’, from his poetry collection The Comeback Kid, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
motivation
My Poem “Continuity”
When it comes to transitioning
from one chapter of a story to another,
continuity is integral to maintaining
the overall narrative that has been established -
an unbroken line of connection
between the beginning and the end,
and whatever follows afterwards -
which acts as a structure
that keeps the world that has been established
from fragmenting into a reality of chaos
and inconsistencies that is hard to explain
and seemingly impossible to understand.
When it comes to a change between
two different stages of anything -
whether that is a change in a democratically
elected government and administration,
or a change in the motivation of
characters that have for years
been known to behave in a certain way -
the most important thing that anyone
who cares about what they are doing,
and are a part of, is to pay attention
and never attempt to erase all that came before,
because if the attempt to change something
happens too soon and too radically
then the after-effect of whatever change
has taken place will not only be jarring for many
but it may also be devastating to someone
who has a profound love for something,
for someone, or for somewhere that they have invested
a great detail of time and energy into.
Continuity is important… Continuity matters…
Continuity means that there is
a great amount of value to history,
as well as to the future…
Continuity is comforting -
which is what some people need
now more than ever…
Continuity is the key to the survival
of every species on the planet -
and, as we have learned the hard way over the years,
even if it is only a single voice that is silenced
then the entire chorus that they were a part of
can no longer sound the same,
and especially if the voice belongs to an individual
who has added more to the mix of the world
than they might have realised
because all they wanted to do was
to move people in a meaningful way.
New ideas are always welcome…
New ways of thinking about things
are always a good way to start the journey
of learning how to make something better -
as long as the new ways compliment
and are an evolution of the tried and the tested…
New people are always entering infamous arenas
of innovation and entrepreneurial growth
who hope to make their mark on something -
but because sometimes some people
have little to no connection to where
they find themselves and have such an insatiable
desire to make something completely different and unique,
instead of retaining what they originally saw the potential in,
they choose to destroy most of what is, what was,
and what has always been, and “start again” -
two words that leave a sower taste in the mouth
of those who hate to see something come to an end
for no reason other than someone
saw a opportunity for “progress”.
New things are always happening…
new realities, new opportunities, new challenges,
new relationships begin every instant
around the world, and beyond -
however what has repeatedly shown itself
to have a positive impact upon the lives of many
since its inception is what people will always return to,
because sometimes some things
and some people can grow to become
something far more indelible in the public consciousness
than at first might have been envisioned,
and one of the things that makes something
feel so special to so many is the ability of its material
to hold true to its original creators vision
and the sense of purpose that they led
to something starting in the first place,
and one of the things that brings people back,
and holds people together around something,
is a deep connection and understanding
of what something is and why,
and there is no better way to express
your respect for something
than to be faithful to the distinctive spirit,
the integrity, and the characteristics
of something’s continuity.
My Poem “Muses of Music”
Music has always been
an important part of my life...
Music has always meant more to me
than I could put into words...
Music has always been
what has created a connection
between me and what I have
always felt can be sensed
whenever I have looked up
at the sky at twilight...
Music has always opened
doorways of imagination
and inspiration that have led me
to visit a multitude of incredible worlds.
Music was, most likely, my first love,
because every time I heard
any kind of music -
from the vinyl records
of The Beatles and Mike Oldfield
that my parents used to play
from our home stereo,
to watching 'Top of the Pops' on TV,
to the Chart Shows that I used to
listen to every week on the radio -
I was absolutely spellbound by what I heard
and by the not so subtle magic.
When I first began expressing
my thoughts, my feelings,
my emotions, my memories,
and my experiences,
in the form of the poetry
that I was inspired to write,
as well as the love that I believed
I was feeling at the time,
I always sought out songs
and melodies that always
gave me the jump start of creativity
that I needed to create
a piece of art of my own.
Whenever I have found myself
going through a period in my life
when I have felt as if I were alone
in how I was feeling,
after listening to the words
of a song that has a power
and a gravity to it
that has a meaning,
a message, and a story to it
that is not always apparent,
I have always felt the wave energy
and understanding that has always reminded me
that there are always others
who have been through
what we have been through,
or what we are going through,
and that we can all there for one another -
even if we live vastly different lives,
and perhaps in different eras and time zones.
Even as I write this,
I am listening to a varied playlist
of some of my favourite songs -
some fast, some slow,
some acoustic, some electronic,
some old, some relatively new -
because I have found that
listening to a great song
while I am writing is like using
the key to a gateway
to the extra dimensions of possibilities
that play out and echo all around us,
and I am free to let my mind drift
and weave my own literary
tapestry of poetic fabric...
every day, I return to who I know,
what I know, where I know,
and to whom and to what
I have repeatedly listened to -
my favourite artists -
who, to me, will always be
the spark of hope, optimism,
and inspiration that I love -
in other words:
my muses of music.
My Poem “There is no tomorrow”
It is good to dream,
and it is good to be a dreamer...
it is good to believe,
and it is good to be a believer...
it is good to send out a message of hope
into the universe without knowing
if you will ever receive a reply...
it is good to make a list of things
you want to do and places
you want to visit before you can't...
we all wish that some things
could be different and that we could
somehow go back and change what happened;
however, we are not meant
to have the power of a god,
we are not meant to live beyond
the last day of our destined journey,
we are not meant to know everything -
but each and every one of us,
right this second, have something
that we have in common:
an opportunity to choose
where we will go next, why, and how.
The past is fixed, indellible,
and what happened before is what it is...
the present is where we find ourselves now -
and everybody knows that
there is something important they want to do,
there is somewhere that they want to be,
and, usually, it is doing something else
and being somewhere else
than where they are...
the future does not exist until it does -
and, for most people, the future
is so far away and so illusive
that they do not realise
they have arrived there
until they take a look around
and see how much things
and people have changed...
every day we are alive
we are travelling into the world to come -
and as we get older
each day seems to
pass us by faster and faster,
as if we have all unwittingly
always be the participants within a race.
In life, we all lose more than we gain;
but it is over the course of our life
that we get to experience
and witness moments like no other,
and there is no better time
than today, and right away,
to do what you want to do,
to go where you want to go,
and to be with whoever
wants to be with you -
because when it comes to
making a choice that will
effect your life forever
the present is all that matters,
because there is no tomorrow.
My Poem “Stand Up”
I do my best creating while I am sitting down, but I do my best performing when I am standing up... when I write a poem, or a story, I have a keyboard or a notebook in front of me; but when I am recording something I have written and I am talking into a microphone I am always doing so while standing on my own two feet, because to me there is no better way to let out what is inside of you - and if you don't believe me you need only watch and listen to a seasoned stand-up comic who knows what it is like to have an audience in front of them captivated with anticipation at what will be uttered from their mouth. Performing in front of an audience is not easy and it is definitely not for everybody... talking to others is what some people might consider the hardest thing they have to do... some people are extroverts and being the centre of attention is like being given a jolt of energy: however, some people would rather stay out of the limelight, in the background, and remain hidden from view. With practice, I have learned to use my senses to filter out the inconsequential and focus on what matters the most... with repetition, I have come to understand the best way to communicate what it is that I want to say and to do it with no other voice than my own... with a saved lexicon of language and life experience I am able to convey my thoughts - but sometimes even my own internal dictionary is not capable of finding a way to describe everything, because sometimes words are not enough... with confidence, which can sometimes only be found after a long time of looking, I believe that everybody can find a way to become more than they ever imagined they could be and deliver their own form of magic - whether they are sitting down or whether they are standing up delivering jokes, telling stories, or reciting verses of poetry.
My Poem “The things that we will do”
Sometimes it is amazing the lengths that people will go to... sometimes it is amazing the things that people will do for a friend, for a family member, for a companion, for a complete stranger in order to help them out and give them support in some way... sometimes people will do things for the people who mean the most to them that they would not dream of doing for anyone else; however when the time arrives and when the need arises for someone to step up and do something extraordinary some people always manage to go the extra mile, to pull out all the stops, in order to make sure that their devotion for someone is in full display... sometimes the things people will do for love are the most extreme - some people have been known to act in such a manner and to accomplish such feats of inspiration and endurance that they might rival those with the greatest intellectual or physical prowess... sometimes the things that people can accomplish when the clock is ticking and when time is running out and when a decisive decision needs to be made speak volumes about the capability and the capacity of people - especially when they are under duress... sometimes life tests us all, because sometimes something or someone wants to see what we're all made of and to what tune our heart rings true... sometimes it amazes me what things people, including myself, depending on the time and the place we find ourselves, will ultimately be compelled to do.
My Poem “The Best That They Can Be”
How do you restart an engine? How do you reawaken the spark within? How do you remember who you are, who you were, and how you used to do what you used to do after so long of living in a state of limbo? How do you find your place once again somewhere, doing something, around people who you haven't seen for a long time? In my experience the only way forwards is perseverance, patience, repetition, and adaptation - until the moment arrives when you regain a sense of momentum that gives you some much needed drive. When we have time on our hands and we are able to do what we want, with who we want, most people tend to not want to dwell upon anything associated with work; however, there are those people who like to take their profession home with them and they even enjoy "talking shop" with anybody who will listen to them... when we find ourselves with too much time on our hands sometimes people can start to think about, and even dream about, being at work - even those people who claim that if they didn't have to work they wouldn't. Some people can't wait to retire from the moment that they start their first day earning an income... some people can't wait to go home from the moment that they "clock in" at their place of employment... some people wish that they could turn their passion project or their hobby into something that can sustain them both creatively as well as financially... some people get up every day and go to work ready to face anything that comes their way and they are willing to do whatever they have to do in order to be the best that they can be.
My Poem “Perseverance”
The perseverance of imagination
is what gives an artist their muse…
the perseverance of an extraordinary idea
is what inspired the first philosophers,
the first explorers, the first inventors,
the first daredevils, the first pilots,
the first men to set foot on the moon…
the perseverance of a team of dreamers
is what has propelled all the man-made
exploratory robots launched into space
to get close up eye-views of the planets
of our solar system and has led to trails
of human built wheels to leave their mark
upon the dusty copper coloured
surface of the planet Mars.
Perseverance is having the strength
of mind to decide to not give up
no matter the distance that has to be crossed…
perseverance is moving forwards despite
others having reservations about your plan
because you know with all that you are
that not following your heart
would be a sacrifice with too high of a cost…
perseverance is finding answers to questions
that were once thought to be irrevocably lost…
perseverance is thinking about the potential
future of everyone on Earth instead of anchoring
yourself to the ideals of the distant past.
The perseverance of life is why there
is so much diversity of species
that is unique to this beautiful planet…
the perseverance of light is why
stars continue to shine long after
their life-span has come to an end…
the perseverance of spirit is why
singers continue to sing,
why painters continue to paint,
why actors continue to act,
why dancers continue to dance,
why people listen to music, fall in love,
and often find themselves living in a trance.
The secret source of success
is not achieving more of something
than somebody else –
the secret of true success is realising
what it takes to do what has to be done,
what it takes to make it through the hard times,
why it is important to believe in yourself,
why it is important to believe in others:
because it is remarkable what extraordinary
feats can be achieved by people
when they are inspired and they are compelled
by the power of perseverance.
My Poem “Want to take a ride?”
Some people love riding…
some people live to jump
on the saddle of a horse,
or on the saddle a bicycle,
on the seat of a scooter,
or on to the seat of a motorcycle –
especially on the weekend
when people feel like
time is on their side
and they can glide through
the quiet lanes of the countryside,
or down the open highways with
the wind blowing against their face,
while enjoying every moment
and every ounce of the feeling
of being unburduned by anything,
and some people also enjoy
the opportunity of the pure release
of their inner nature
that they get to make.
Some people have a great affection
for past times that make them feel rebellious –
as if they are doing something
that they shouldn’t be doing:
like disregarding a sign that says
“DO NOT ENTER” or “SLIPPERY WHEN WET”,
and they still decide to proceed
regardless to what awaits them within
the forbidden place before them…
some people are simply unable to fight
the feeling that rises within them
that makes them want to
face their fears, take a leap,
and expand the boundaries
of their imagination.
Some people sometimes do things
that they know other people
have died while doing…
some people sometimes do things
that are dangerous
because the experience of doing
certain activities is profoundly thrilling
and sometimes life-fulfilling…
some people who live near a beach
love to start their day by taking
their surfboard and riding the crests
of the early morning waves…
some people love being active,
being brave, and seeking out
their calling in life in many different ways.
Some people live to explore…
some people love to dive…
some people like the ritual
of waking up at dawn
and taking their dog for a long walk…
some people want nothing more
than to do what they want,
when they want, how they want –
especially those who wake up
every day when they do not have
anything in particular to do
and who can take the steps
to fully answer the question of:
“Where do you want to go?”…
some people experience
the feeling of being “more alive”
when they instively act upon
the question posed by
their adventurous side,
which is usually a variation
along the lines of:
“Want to take a ride?”
“Life should not be a journey to the grave
with the intention of arriving safely
in a pretty and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside
in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up,
totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
“Wow! What a Ride!”
– Hunter S. Thompson
Mark The Poet 