Get your copy of the republished version (hardcover version) of my third book, and my third poetry collection, ‘The Eternal Boy’, which was originally published in 2015.
‘The Eternal Boy’ symbolises another step upon my journey as a poet, as a writer, and as an author – as well as me attempting to capture the change and the evolution in myself that I felt I was going through at the time, and also my exploration of some of the many states that we all sometimes have to live through at different and varied stages in our lives.
There are poems within ‘The Eternal Boy’ that I think about all the time, and which I think perfectly capture who I am and who I always want to be.
Get the new hardcover version of ‘The Eternal Boy’here!
There have always been times in the history of humanity when people have had to look at themselves, when people have had to look at their surroundings, and when people have had to look at the faces of their loved ones, and wondered whether this would be the day: whether this would be when the world would come to an end… there have been times when nature has taken humanity to a point where and when the outcome of what was about to happen was not guaranteed, where and when no matter what protection we think we have against an imminent threat we know that the possibility of surviving what is going to take place is not a given… there have been devastating asteroid impacts that have led to the extinction of entire species; there have been epic storms that have caused massive amounts of destruction and death; there have been numerous instances when attacks have occurred which have lead to fatalities that could not have been prevented nor predicted by anyone… there have always been dangerous times - when the world around us has felt as if it were teetering on a knife-edge - when there are tensions between powerful nations capable of wielding arsenals that could lead to mass casualties and worldwide annihilation… there have always been times when we have been told to prepare for the worst - during times of war, or when there has been an outbreak of a deadly disease; and when there is such a time when the odds of survival might seem insurmountable, and when the situation unfolding seems too grim to bear, everyone around the world needs something and someone to remind them that no matter what happens in life, and no matter what humanity sometimes has to go through, there will always be something and someone that will make the difference and guide your way through the world - even if darkness seems to have descended over everything - and every time you return to them they give you a little bit of hope that you are going to be alright and eventually everything will pass; and if the end does come, and if you need something or someone to hold your hand as you make your way through an era of potential dystopia, then think of me and keep a copy of this poem with you to read whenever you need to be reminded of the importance of the words of a poet and you need a poem for the end of the world.
My heart goes out to everybody who is having to adapt to doing things and to living their life as best as they can in a vastly different way than they had previously known how to since all of the restrictions put upon their interactions, the way that they shop, how they work, and how they learn were introduced in order to combat against an unseen and an easily transmissible enemy that has seemingly brought the modern world to a stand still.
My heart goes out to parents, because most of them have had to adapt to becoming not only their child’s guardian and around the clock source of entertainment, but they have also had to become their child’s tutor and home school teacher – and in most cases parents are struggling to be all the things that their child needs them to be all of the time, while perhaps also simultaneously having to juggle the responsibility of being a supportive partner.
My heart goes out to the children of this generation who want to learn and who dream of becoming something and someone with a calling and a purpose in life to be fulfilled… my heart goes out to those families who are having to share their one and only means of accessing the Internet and those who are having to take it in turns to seek out some kind of escapism from the stark reality of world events in any way that they can.
One thing that is undeniable is that life is hard for people right now, and the world, unfortunately, seems more fragmented than ever; however, whenever I see new art being created, whenever I hear of new music being shared, whenever I find out about new innovations that are being made, whenever I look beyond the shores of my island home, I am reminded of how resilient the human spirit is – which is why I do not stop myself from believing that with a little time, patience, and perseverance the human race will one day collectively come out from the shadow of this dark era more resolute than ever, stronger than ever, consistently riding the waves of change, because we have always been a species who no matter what has always found a way.
A new burst of sunlight enlightens my view… a new year has arrived that will herald the arrival of something that will enable the world to slowly become renewed… a new wave of possibility is beginning to drift over and upon humanity that will hopefully lead to us all once again looking to an optimistic future beyond the here and the now.
New additions to already established families all around the world are being welcomed with open arms as symbols of hope of a new generation who will be the beneficiaries of what previous generations have had to overcome, have had to adapt to, and have had to discover along the way, and a new constellation of distant beacons of light will be what everybody needs to fuel all the new ideas and the new inventions that will revolutionise how everybody will stay connected to one another as well as on another level of consciousness with who and what once was.
A new dawn is the start of new verse within the constantly evolving poem and chronological story that is life – so even though there may not have been as many fireworks set off to end one year and welcome in a brand new one this year as there might have been in years gone by there is always a reason to stay hopeful, to look up, and to believe that if everybody does their part and continues to work hard at being inspirational in their own way all will never be lost.
When you are a child there is no more magical and joyful moment of your life than around Christmas time when you get to write a letter to a man in a red suit, with a white beard, who on Christmas day will deliver all that you have been asking for for perhaps all of the previous months of the year – and with a high degree of certainty there could be no one more popular than the ever jovial Father Christmas/ Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas himself who children dream about, write to, and draw pictures of, as well as his ever present reindeer and his trusted elves.
Christmas is for everybody… Christmas is full of positivity, possibilities, and you truly start to get into the Christmas spirit as soon as you start to hang the decorations upon your newly bought, or perhaps your perennially rediscovered, Christmas tree… Christmas is a season for hope, optimism, friendship and family… Christmas is when people need other people more than anything – and the greatest gift that you can give anybody is your time, because not only is time precious but it is also free.
Christmas time can sometimes be hard – even when their isn’t a dark cloud hovering over every one in every country – and so many people do not have the opportunity to be with somebody on December the 25th, which is why everybody young and old need to remind themselves why it is important to be there for those who we are blessed to know as well as for those who may not know and who may live on their own.
Christmas time should be hopeful and without fears and tears… Christmas time should be about showing love, as well as about being happy and merry while listening to Christmas songs that have endured for years… Christmas time is a wonderful time that is capable of making anybody of any age feel as if they are a child… Christmas time is a whirlwind of emotions at the best of times, however when people are at their most in need of something and someone to believe in they can look no further than to whomever matters the most to them to give them the gift of a Christmas star to enlighten and to signal that even on the darkest of nights there is always hope.
Enlivened by the bright blue sky, enlightened by the sublime sunshine, entertained by the festive music filling the air, entranced by the revolutions of the red and gold merry-go-round, as I stand with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, as the world around me feels like I am underneath a clear dome – like that of an enclosed globe just waiting to be turned upside down so that there can be a a flurry of snow – everything feels like it should be at this time of the year, everybody appear to be in good spirits and enjoying the gift of the season’s greetings, and there is a palpable calmness as if everybody is catching their breath… it is a wonderful sight to see both adults and children look up in wonder at the illuminated decorations and the gleaming baubles of the many Christmas trees and to see people young and old smile for what might have been the first time in a long time, because this year has been filled with so much uncertainty… there are echoes of the voices of the lost to be heard, there are welcome flashes of hopefulness to be found… there are whispers of a cure for what shadows the present coming within the near future, as the sounds of hope ring out in the form of Christmas bells that inspire meaningful moments of merriment as people ride and as people are drawn to the magical sight of a spinning Christmas Merry-go-around.
As a child, I always looked to the future…
as a child, when I imagined what would be,
I was always sure that things would turn out
like they were predicted to
in films and in television shows
that I watched which depicted
a world to come when anything
and everything was possible:
including vacations on the Moon,
underwater cities, and, of course, time-travel.
As a child, I was always hopeful
of a bright and inspirational tomorrow –
because looking immediately
for the positive of any situation
for me has always been in my nature…
as a child, I was like Luke Skywalker,
in the Star Wars movies:
always looking to the horizon
and always believing that anybody –
even someone as seemingly
bad as Darth Vader could be
redeemed and returned
from the dark side to the light.
As a child, fantasy worlds
drew me to them, because
what I saw and who I saw
had this magic to them
that had aspects to them
that were incredibly enthralling –
including: quests, adventures,
and other realities that seemed
wonderfully exciting.
As a child, real life was somewhere
where I interacted with my family,
where I hung out with my friends,
where I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
and where there wasn’t such things
as flying cars, teleporters,
jet-packs, and robots who
looked as human as anybody I knew –
but I knew that one day all those
things that the television showed me
would come true one day.
As an adult, when I look around
at the world of the present –
while simultaneously reflecting
back upon the past and at what I used
to believe would be a reality
when I was all grown-up –
there are times when I genuinely
have to ask myself,
in the words of Freddie Mercury:
“Is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy?”
As I have grown older
and as I have seen and experienced
even more of the world,
my instant impulse to imagine
possibilities before they happen
is still my immediate instinct –
and though there have indeed
been times in my life when my belief
that the world is innately hopeful
and optimistic has been tested,
I will never be convinced by
anything or by anybody
to stop reaching for that which
seemingly lies upon a higher shelf of life,
and I will never stop being someone
who naturally and occasionally
gets ahead of himself.
Mark The Poet 