parents

My Poem “Always”

Mark Hastings Blog, life, me, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.








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My Poem “Slow down time”

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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The kids are growing up fast…

time isn’t slowing down for anything…

children are graduating from school

and leaving a part of themselves in the past…

this is when children look forward

and when parents look back…

this is when everybody realizes

that nothing lasts forever,

and when parents wish that they could

relive all those moments with their kids

when they were younger…

it is both a happy time and a sad time…

it is both a time for optimism

and also a time when everybody

has to say their goodbyes…

no one is dying – but, in a way,

it is the end of an era and a time

in a person’s life that will never come again…

parents only want the best for their children,

and the best parents champion their children

in whatever they choose to throw themselves into

and want to excel themselves at –

but seeing their children grow up

and change before their eyes

naturally and uncomfortably

causes parents to feel great pain…

every child cannot wait to grow up,

fall in love, have kids, and settle down –

while most parents, though greatly supportive

for the most part of their child,

just wish that time would just slow down.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem ‘A Mother’s Nature’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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Every son and every daughter

needs a hero to look up to

while growing up…

every child deserves the best

that their parents can give them –

but the gift of a mother’s love

is so unparreleled and so pure,

and without the gifts

that only a mother can give

no child would know

what the power of love truly means…

mothers go through a rollercoaster of emotions

as they put the needs and the feelings

and the future of their child before their own…

mothers and fathers are both responsible

for the life, the caring, the well-being,

and the building of the nest

that is at the centre of their childs’ world –

however, a child will want for nothing

as long as they always have a place

to call their home.


So much of life is about sacrifice –

but there is nothing more important to a child,

and nothing else that they will remember more,

than those moments of true happiness and innocence

when they were a small child

just before they drifted off to sleep

and they stared into their parents’ smiling face

as they wished them good-night.


Every form of nature has seasons,

and sometimes both fathers and mothers

have to weather more than their children could ever know…

sometimes both fathers and mothers

have to go through indescribable hurt and heart-break

just so that their children might not have

to suffer the same fate of falling

to the depths to where life

sometimes makes people go.


As with most things in life,

there is no perfect blue-print,

nor is there anybody who could honestly proport

to being all-knowing when it comes

to what is best for their child –

but the most important thing

is to always be there for your child

with open-arms, to not judge your child

for who they are, and no matter what

be the one who will always nurture.


The life of a Mom can be hard sometimes,

and it can be filled with just as many tears

as there are smiles –

however, there is nobody who has never

needed and not wanted to be loved

and understood by their parents,

and at the heart of a true mother of children

there lies a pure and eternal love,

and among everything that can sustain a child

throughout their life, truly and in every way,

there is nothing more beautiful,

nor more wonderful to see,

than the gifts of love of a mother’s nature.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem ‘The Ten Thousand’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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Every birth is a miracle…

every child is an angel…

every baby is beautiful…

every newborn is wonderful,

and it is every parents responsibility

to provide and to give without question

the love and the support that their children

need more than anything else in the entire world.


Every child is born to the parents

whom they are born to for a reason…

some parents don’t even plan to be parents –

however, I am sure that not even

Mary and Joseph knew how to be the best parents

to the young Jesus,

but they did the best that they could,

and it is not every day

that you are chosen to be

the adoptive parents of God’s son

through immaculate conception.


In my opinion, every parent of every child

is the beginning, but not the end…

in my opinion, the best parents

care so much for their children

and their well-being,

and they show their love for their children naturally –

while others try too-hard

and in the end they have to pretend.


We know from the Bible

where Jesus was born and to whom…

we know where Jesus died

and where he rose to heaven…

we know that Jesus died

for each and every one of us,

but no-one could ever know

what exactly Jesus thought about

why he was on Earth when he was a child –

however, when he saw the signs

of what was about to come

and what he had to do,

I am sure that he knew…

we know that Jesus was divine,

but he too was mortal

and could not have left this life

in any other way than like a human.


Some couples pray for the gift of a child…

some people become parents naturally

and biologically, and some are chosen

to be the guardians and the protectors

of a child by the hand of destiny and fate…

some couples’ journey to parenthood

can be long and hard,

but unbelievably worth-while…

some people become a parent early

and some become parents late…

some couples only choose their child’s name

after they have been born,

while some have had the same names picked out

for months before they even knew the sex of their baby…

some parents watch their children grow

and become amazing individuals

of whom they could not be more proud…

some couples know what it means

to have been born into a one-of-a-kind family…

some parents unfortunately out-live their children

and even have to watch as their child

breathes their last breath –

and it is to them that Angels come

to help them through the heart-break that they feel,

because to the ears of the divine

the sound of even a single falling tear of a parent

is as loud as that of ten thousand.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem ‘My Loving Parents’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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My Mum and Dad’s love for each-other

is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen;

my Mum and Dad’s bond is the strongest

that has ever been;

my Mum and Dad would do anything for each other,

no matter what;

my Mum and Dad were always meant to be together,

and you can tell that fact

any time that you are with them

and you see them together –

they are not only each-other’s soulmates,

they are each other’s best friends,

who have both been through a lot.


Throughout my entire life,

I have been a witness to magic;

since I was a child,

every day I have seen my Mum and my Dad

go above and beyond for their children;

in my opinion, no other two people

who have ever been in love with each other

have given as much for one-another

as my parents have –

it is in both of their DNA to give;

to have parents who are as amazing

and as incredible in every way as mine are,

I know with all that I am

that there has never been a more blessed

or a more fortunate son.


I am the best of two hearts

eternally bound to each-other;

I am the art of two artists

whose life and love still lives

and will forever continue

to course through my veins;

I am in constant awe

at what my mother would do for my father,

and what my father would do for my mother;

I am sometimes lost for words

when trying to describe

the truly wonderful and heroic two people

who I am proud and so lucky

to be able to call my loving parents.


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My Poem ‘Keeping Mum’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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I knew that this day would come again,

I knew that the moment would come

when I would write a new poem –

but today, now,

in the silence of Christmas morning,

after opening some presents,

I am sitting here in my room

unable to stop thinking…

I am thinking about my own Christmas Angel,

I am thinking about what this day

in particular means to me,

and I am thinking about my parents –

both separated from each-other as they wake up,

both deeply in love with each other,

both wanting so much to hold one-another,

both together and apart

who have had to go through so much.


As I sit here thinking about my Mum

waking up in her hospital bed,

as I flash-back to the moment

when the reality of what was happening hit me

and I cried and I held my Dad,

I must admit that I do feel sad,

and I just wish that there were a way

for me to stay hopeful

and to keep my faith

that my Mum will be alright

without feeling upset.


I have been going through

several stages of shock at-once

over the last few days

since I heard the news that devastated me

and clouded my thoughts;

my Mum told me that:

“we have to take every day as it comes”,

but, even though she is right,

I just feel like it is going to take me a while

to find my own way of accepting everything

and move forwards –

however, I guess that when any person

who we love is sick it is always tough.


I know that I need to be there for my Mum

now more than ever, because right now

is when she needs me the most;

I know that when I see her later

I am going to want to cry,

but that is not what she needs

or would ever want;

if I never had the light of my life

to guide me through the darkness of uncertainty

then I would feel truly lost;

I would not be here if it were not

for the people from whom I came from;

I am staying hopeful,

and I will never lose hope or give up,

and I will not allow my Mum to lose me,

and no matter what happens

there is nothing and no one

who will ever stop me

from keeping my Mum.


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My Poem ‘An Acquired Taste’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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After we are born,

the one thing that we crave,

without even knowing it,

is comfort, closeness, touch,

and the feeling of being held,

and we instantly form a connection

with the first face that we see

when we get over the shock

of emerging and being thrust into the world,

and we start figuring out

exactly where we are, who we are, what we can do,

and the things that matter to us most importantly.


Our initial exposure to certain things

is incredibly influential

to the person who we will grow up to be;

being a child can be harder

and more confusing than we think;

for a parent, just being there for your child is the key;

the first bonds and connections that we make

are our life-long and most important links.


As we get older, the way we think changes;

the way we react to things changes,

and the relationships that we have change also –

because life sometimes is about going through

and adapting to many different and evolving phases:

physically, emotionally, spiritually –

and the more we see and feel,

the more we question, and ask: is this real?


Everything in life is a matter of taste –

like clothes, in life, some things we grow into,

and some things we grow out of;

something that still has value to it

should never be thought of as a waste;

in life, for every one person

who spends their days looking down,

there is always someone else

who is always looking up and above.


Tastes can change, depending on the day;

tastes can switch, depending on the weather;

tastes, like most things in life,

always repeat and will always reoccur;

taste is like music that speaks to your soul

and fills your world –

and no matter what, must be played and heard.


Some people drink coffee;

some people drink tea;

some people only drink things that are natural –

like water, or fruit juice –

and never drink anything that contains any caffeine;

some people like particular brands of clothing;

some people have an obsession

with a particular type of car;

some people spend lots of time

on what they should be wearing;

some people are painfully particular;

and, to me, as long as someone’s choices

do no actual harm, I have no problem with that –

because they are the way they are,

and they are vital in showing

that life is not one way, or another,

and that existence is a universe of wonderful

and phenomenal contrast.


Some things we are born with;

some things we are born into;

every face of everyone on Earth

is as striking and as fragile as a vase;

some things we orbit around our entire life;

some things have been there in your life

since day one, even though they may seem brand new;

most things in life are unapologetically

an acquired taste.

					

		
		
	




			
				


	

		

					
My Poem ‘3/14/15’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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Today is the 14th of March;

today feels like a Sunday,

however it is in fact a Saturday;

today feels like, in some way,

I have stepped out of the dark;

and today is also a great day,

because today is my Mum and Dad’s Anniversary –

and today, more than any other,

I am reminded about how my parents

absolutely love each other in every way.

Today is also ‘International Pi Day’ –

a day in which some people celebrate

the mathematical constant

that has no discernible end;

and, as I feel change happening all around me,

I am also reminded of the unchanging constants

in my life – namely my family:

on whom, I know I can always depend.


I have many constants in my life:

hope, poetry, music, optimism,

memory, thought, family, connections –

and when I feel them and I understand them

for what they are and for what they mean to me,

nothing else matters;

the pain of the past fades away,

and just being thankful for what I do have

always keeps the wolf, that sometimes visits me

at all times of the night or day, at bay.


Today feels like the perfect day

to hold on tight to the best thing in my life;

today feels like I am understanding something profound

with the wonderful gifts of hindsight, and foresight.

My heart feels brand new;

I am breathing fresh air now

that makes me feel light-headed –

as if I were experiencing high-altitude hypoxia

on top of a mountain;

my mind is reaching out into the big blue;

I am changing again;

I feel like I have just woken up

from an interesting dream, and come full-circle;

and today is the 14th of March, 2015.


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My Poem ‘Heart to Heart’

								

								 Mark Hastings
															Poetry					
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It always feels exhilarating

to get something off your chest;

it always feels amazing to say something

that you have been meaning to say;

it always feels great to ask something of someone

that for a long time you have only had

the opportunity to guess;

it always feels liberating

to give a secret about yourself away.


Procreation, pregnancy,

the creation of new life has always intrigued me;

maintaining a legacy, passing on knowledge,

keeping a tradition alive for a new generation to carry on,

is something that truly fascinates and enthralls me.


Children learning about their family

from the stories told to them by their parents;

parents engaging with their children,

and showing interest in what they like to do,

and what they think;

children being allowed to say what they see,

and create their own picture of the world,

from a vast mosaic of pieces of life that they see,

and connecting together the fragments;

parents allowing their children to be children,

without any unneeded pressure

about who they should be too early –

in my opinion, the best gift you can give any child

is the knowledge that life itself is a teacher

and a lesson, and if you pay close attention

to what is going on around you,

and how you feel about things,

there is no knowing what you will discover

about the world, and about yourself,

and with the right knowledge

and an abundance of passion and enthusiasm

there is no knowing what might happen.


Children can only be taught so much by their teachers

and their parents, and there comes a time

in every boy and girl’s life when they realize

that they have to make a decision for themselves

with their own mind and their own reasoning,

and make a choice that might inform their entire future;

children can only be protected and held back

from the big wide world for so long,

and the moment that they realize

that they have to start paying for what they want,

every child has this worry about what to do next,

as they are engulfed by a massive wave of fear.


Every parent will tell you

that bringing up a child is not easy;

every child will tell you

that no one shines brighter in their eyes

than those who raise them, those who praise them,

and they who just by being there for them when they need them,

who make them extremely happy;

every parent will admit that providing and balancing

what a child needs with what they want can sometimes be hard;

every child, in not so many words, most of the time,

just wants to know that they are wanted,

and that they are loved,

and the best and the most amazing way

a parent and a child can show this

is to talk to each other,

and not be afraid to look into each other’s eyes,

and have a heart to heart.