poem

My Poem “Momentary Meditation”

Mark Hastings Poetry , , , , , , , ,

All the sounds around us
can sometimes echo
and be distorted by the voices
and by the noises of every life –
so much so that it can be hard
to keep your thoughts focused on
what and who keeps running back
and forth through your mind.

The cacophonous chaos of the world
can at times make it hard to find the
peace and the calmness that everybody
occasionally needs to keep them alive…
everybody – no matter who they are –
could definitely benefit from taking
some time to close their eyes,
to switch off from the distractions
of memories, instincts, emotions,
hopes, wants, and desires,
so that they may attain some sense
of enlightenment as to who and what
is their source of inner light.

The shining moon and the stars of night,
as well as the bright blue sky of day,
have long been canvas for oracles
who have successfully guided people
and have provided visions of what is necessary,
what is natural, what feels familiar,
and what makes sense when thinking
about the who, what, where, when and why.

Time is precious and finding the time
to do things can feel like a luxury,
but if we do not all take advantage
of moments when we are not doing
anything in particular, apart from
perhaps waiting for the other shoe to drop,
to just stop, to breathe, to look into the distance
at the same time that we are looking within,
so that we can listen to the constant
broadcast of our own biological radio station
when it’s frequency mixes with that
of everything and everyone who
is also deeply resonating as well as receiving
profoundly meaningful revelations
via a deliberate or an accidental
practice of momentary meditation
wherever and whenever that they find themselves.

My Poem “So much to love”

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

There is so much to love about life…
there is so much to love about nature…
there is so much to love about the side
of the world that is seen during the day
and there is so much to love
about the side of the universe
that only reveals itself during the night…
there is so much to love about
how people care for one another,
how people are drawn to one another,
and how people choose to show
their love and devotion of one another.

There is so much to love about
certain people in our lives
than we could ever put into words…
there is so much to love about
how some people help those
who cannot help themselves
that is something instinctive than anything
that over time could ever be learned…
there is so much more to love about
the intrinsic language of the seasons
than our human ears could ever possibly hear…
there is so much to love about
those people who sacrifice their own lives
in order to give others a reason not to fear.

There is so much to love about
the things that we may see every day
that we may sometimes take for granted…
there is so much to love about
the mementos of memories that we
have made and the rembrances of experiences
that we surround ourselves with
that are a permanent fragment
of time that cannot ever be repeated…
there is so much to love about
a moment of silence when you can
look within yourself and know that
what and who you have in your
life are more than enough.

We cannot always get what we want –
but during our lives we are given gifts
that always remind us that though life
can sometimes be tough we can all find
an example of something or someone
who has qualities about them that draw
us to them because there is something about them
that there is so much to love.

My Poem “Appropriate Footwear”

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

You never know when you are
going to need certain things –
things that you may only think about,
look for, or even use at a particular
time or within a particular season of the year…
you never know when you are
going to need or when you are going
to want to wear a particular piece
of clothing that you like, for example,
because the design that it advertises
shows that you have a profound interest
in something or in someone for some reason…
you never know when you are
going to need a particular pair of shoes –
be they sneakers, boots, or something
that look comfortable enough to wear
around the house when you don’t need to go out…
you never know when you are
going to be presented with an easy
or a difficult dilemma based upon the weather –
such as a heavy deluge of snow,
a downpour of rain that has created
a brand new river outside of your front-door,
or perhaps you may ffereyind yourself poolside somewhere
or on holiday near a sandy beach –
and you have to decide what your current situation calls for:
Smart? Casual? Flip-flops?
Wellington boots? Or Barefoot?
That is why it is always important to consider
what you are doing and where –
because you might have to wonder
whether you are wearing the most
appropriate of footwear.

My Poem “Escapism”

Mark Hastings films, life, me, Podcast, Poetry, TV , , , , , , , , , ,

Reality is tangible, and yet there are times
when reality can feel absolutely unbelievable…
the real world is sometimes managible,
the real world is sometimes even palatable –
but occasionally the “real world” can
at times feel too much to handle.

Reality is physical and undoubtedly
it can at times feel painful…
the real world, the outside world,
is where things get done,
where progress is made,
where we get to look people in the eye,
where we get to share a smile,
where we get to experience things
that are grounded in nature –
but the real world is also where
the weight of certain things
upon our emotions and upon
our thoughts and upon our dreams
can sometimes make us all feel fragile.

Reality is life – but every so often
everybody needs a dose of something
that they have never seen before,
or perhaps something that they
may have seen over and over again…
everybody needs a vision of a life
and of a world unlike the one
that they are daily familiar with…
everybody needs to have this place,
this time, those moments,
those out of body experiences
when they get let their imagination
run wild so that it can play along with all
of the fantastic possibilities of creativity
that they see – which may not be
a true reflection of the everyday world,
but which are always considered to be
a source of hope to help people cope
and to get some much needed escapism.

Mark The Poet – The Podcast: Episode #70: “Preciousness”

Mark Hastings books, life, me, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode Mark recites three of the most recent poems that he has written: “Naturally Reflective”, “Every New Someone”, “Loyal Companion”, and he reflects upon who he is, what he misses, and why life and the time that we all have is so precious and should not be wasted.

My Poem “Loyal Companion”

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

All those times when they looked up
at you with love in their eyes…
all those times when you would both
snuggle up to one another
and they would lay their head upon your chest…
all those times when you would
kiss them and they would kiss you
and they would want you
to stroke them as they rolled over…
all those times when you would both
go out for a walk, when you would talk
and even though they did not say a word
you knew that they were listening to you intently…
all those times when they would know
you were home even before they saw you,
when they would prick up their ears,
when they would wag their tail
and they would be so overjoyed
when they finally saw you.

There are no words to describe
what it is like to have an animal,
a best friend, a member of your family
who knows you better than you know yourself,
who you could never forget
all those times, all those moments,
and all those treasured and unforgettable
memories that you shared with them,
that you will always remember,
which you shared with a soul mate
who to you was more than a pet
and who to you will always be
a life long loyal companion.

My Poem “Every New Someone”

Mark Hastings life, me, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,

Holding a newborn baby in your arms
always brings home how precious,
how fragile, and how utterly unique
each of us truly are…
looking into a newborn baby’s
big blue eyes reminds us all
that everybody who arrives into this world
has the right to be given the best life
and to be protected by their new family
from coming to any harm…
seeing how dependent every new
gift to the world is to who they are
born to reminds us all that
even though every child born is a miracle
no child can grow and develop independently
of the energy and the influences
that constantly surround them…
being in the presence of a couple
who are the parents of a newborn
and seeing how through trial and error
they learn how to work together
to be there for their child when
they need them really brings home
the message and the meaning of life
that reminds all of us to be in awe
at the arrival of every new someone.

My Poem “Naturally Reflective”

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

I am so reflective
that I might as well be a mirror…
my emotions flow so easily
I might as well be a river…
I am sometimes so transparent
I might as well be a window…
I am so easy to read
that I might as well be a book
because most of the time the expression
is one easy that accurately conveys
my feelings and my thoughts…
I am like a dark moonlit ocean…
I am like the spinning chrome rim
of a car wheel that is constantly in motion…
I am like a light-bulb whose face
brightens or dims depending upon
what I am talking about and who I am with…
I am like a stream of sunlight
after it passes through a prism of glass –
because when all of the individual
collective components that make me
who I am spill out of me
like water through a sive
all of the droplets of inspiration that
I have accumulated within me
share themselves so effortlessly,
because for better or for worse
I am and I have always been
someone who is naturally reflective.

Mark The Poet – Episode #69: “Life As We Know It”

Mark Hastings life, me, Podcast, Poetry , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode Mark reads three of his most recent poems: “It’s A Boy!”, “Frozen Tears”, and “Always”. Mark also attempts to share a message of hope for those who like most of the world are struggling with living their life as best as they can during the challenging times the people of the world are currently facing.

My Poem “Frozen Tears”

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

The snow fell slowly…
the snow fell deep…
the snow fell quietly…
the snow fell so peacefully
that while I was watching it
I drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, as I looked out
at the blue sky above
and at the white snow below,
I felt like I was a child
and I wanted to go outside
and walk in the snow –
and that is exactly what I did:
I put on my walking boots,
my coat, my scarf, and I threw
my rucksack on to my back
and I set out, one step at a time,
to explore the frozen beauty of nature
and the wonderful sights
that most of the time remain hid
before it was too late –
because even in nature things
are not always meant to last.

The sound of the snow cracking beneath
the soles of my boots was invigorating –
most likely because the sound of my own
footsteps was all that I could hear…
the way that the crystallised snow
sparkled and glistened as the sun
shined upon the pure white path
before me was dreamlike –
untouched, vast, like being within
a moment of time in which
there was no beginning and no end:
like staring at an eternal representation
of life and nature and feeling so moved
by this overwhelming and profound landscape;
and yet, even though I wanted to cry,
I was unable to conjure any tears –
I instead choose to close my eyes,
to breathe in and to breathe out,
to smile from ear to ear,
and to feel more blessed
that I had felt for years.