The more you live, the more you grow,
the more you see, the more you hear,
the more you experience things changing
in profound, considerable, and unexpected ways,
the more you become aware and accustomed
to the insatiably complex nature of the world…
the more you learn about yourself
and the way things are and have always been,
the more you start to understand
and appreciate the things that have happened -
both the good and the bad -
that everything and everyone
has in common with each other…
the more you believe in the power of a person
to be able to change their mind
about what they have always believed,
the more that you realise that people
are not just driven by instinct alone;
because sometimes some people have such
an outpouring of empathy and compassion
for others whom they don’t know
that they even surprise themselves
and their level of charity and generosity
as a result can even surprise and surpass
any and every expectation that they
might have had of their own actions…
the more you do to educate yourself
on what is true and what is false,
on what can be described and what can be proven,
the more you learn that so much
of what we all do and what we have always done
comes down to what we are capable of sacrificing
in order to achieve a sense of purpose in our lives -
and sometimes the price we are faced with
we deem to be too high,
while sometimes some people find
that have no choice but to do what must be done…
the more you do not judge the person next to you,
or the person who is just trying to do their best
to find out why they are who and what they are,
the more that you will see that nothing and nobody
will ever truly fit the model of who they are
sometimes told they are expected to be -
because even those people who attempt
to publicly emulate someone else
behind closed doors everyone is their own self
with their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions
on things and on people, but sometimes
everybody has to keep their own council
on what to say and what not to say;
however, there are some people who
believe that it is their responsibility
to challenge, to argue, and to defend
each and every arena of self-expression,
because there are so many places in the world
where the freedom to say, and to be
who you want to be, is not a guarantee…
the more you accept that the more you know
the more you will be able to make something
that much more interesting and meaningful to you,
the more you will experience a new and a sometimes
more nuanced view of everything and everyone,
and the more that you see the cracks in the facade
of those who portray themselves as someone
and something seemingly untouchable
to the overriding principles and the laws of nature -
those described, as well as those intrinsic
to life as we know it on this planet -
the more you can come to realise that nothing
you can imagine is ever truly
outside of the realms of possibility.
poems
My Poem “Count to Ten”
I was once a poet of a single poem…
I was once a dreamer of a dream…
I was once a rambler of fields of gold…
I was once a boy who loved, who laughed,
and who saw the world with an eternally optimistic eye…
I was once a believer in everything that I saw,
everything that I heard, and in everyone whom I met;
however, over time, I was struck
by multiple instances of unpredictability
that changed the course of my life forever…
I can still remember who I was and where I was
when so many of the things that happened
to me left their mark upon me…
I can can still remember writing that first verse,
that first step, that first gift of adoration and love
which was the spark of inspiration that I needed
to start the fire of creativity within me
that has only grown in size, heat, and ferocity,
as I have allowed myself to evolve as a writer
and as an author into whatever, whomever,
wherever I believe I have always been destined to be…
unlike some, I have never been afraid of words;
in fact, words are powerful and sacred to me
in ways that are sometimes hard to describe -
because words matter to me,
because words energise me,
because words feel so natural to me,
and whenever I write a collection of words,
especially poetry, I feel like I am writing something
that only I could write and something
that I do not require anyone but me to understand…
a sphere, a sound, a multiverse, a path, a story -
throughout each of my eras and experiences
as a poet and a writer, I have witnessed
change happen around me,
as well as change happen within me,
that has sometimes been challenging to face,
to overcome, and to experience;
however, I know that I have no choice
but to continue doing what I know I have to do:
to keep going, to keep dreaming, to keep writing,
to keep being fascinated by things and by people,
to keep my eyes, my ears, and my mind open -
because there are times when everyone
has to admit that things are different
from what and how they expected them to be,
and which is why it is always helpful in certain situations
to take a moment to look, to listen, to consider,
and then count to ten before making a decision
about what to do, where to go,
and about who they want to be
in the next phase of their future.
My Poem “The Life of a Story”
Every story is an alternate reality,
a parallel universe, a world of possibilities…
every story is filled with characters
all bound by the rules of there individual realities…
every story has its own meaning to be told…
every story has its own seasons and history
that informs the present and the future
by repeating the same the echoes of the past
which never get old…
every story is different, and its own,
and yet connected to every other…
every story continues beyond that which
can be read within the pages between
the front and the back covers…
every story should be written
by those who are meant to write it,
but every story deserves to read by everybody…
every story can make a difference
to the lives of people who are drawn
to the magic and the poetry of the art
that they feel hypnotised by,
like a moth to a flame…
every story has a special place in the heart
of its creator and its author,
because no matter how many times it is read
no one but the writer of a story could ever
write the story of dedication that it took
to make a story clear and correct
after what can sometimes feel like a lifetime
of existing within a mist of mistakes…
every story has its own version of itself within it
that someone is writing simultaneously,
and every story has its own version of its author
living their life and being who they are supposed to be -
and within every story there are those
who sometimes dream that they are characters
in someone else’s story,
but they can never find the words to explain why…
every story has a beginning, an end,
as well as a conclusion -
however every story is a journey that begins
with the answer and the conclusion of another story,
because the truth is that every story is all one story
written into the words of every person,
even if they don’t realise it,
and every time anyone thinks they know
everything about every story they have been told
someone else will have their own version of the same story
and a new reality, a new universe,
and a new world is created, over and over again,
that continues to change and evolve
the way in which anyone can tell, retell,
and give new meaning to the life of a story.
My Poem “Inter Arma”
Trigger Warning!
Whenever you turn on your television,
whenever you read a newspaper,
whenever you see images posted online,
whenever you open your eyes
and you brace yourself to see
what is going on around the world,
especially in this day and age,
you would not be mistaken for thinking
that this world was once again at war with itself;
however, in truth, this world
hasn’t known a period of perpetual peace for a long time -
but right now feels as if this world
has never been more fragmented,
and as if the most powerful countries
on Earth have never been
more polarised from one another…
when I see that the President of the United States of America
has signed an executive order declaring that
the “Department of Defense”
now be renamed the “Department of War”,
I start to believe that there has been
a change in direction enacted
by the leader of one of the world’s
most powerful superpowers -
and that is when I start to wonder
whether there will be a future
for the children of this world
in which they will know what it is like to live in peace,
instead of living in fear and never knowing
what it like to be hopeful and optimistic…
I am deeply troubled at the thought
of how many people have died
recently around the world
because they have been caught in the crossfire
of a conflict that they never wanted to be involved in,
I mourn for those innocent souls who have lost their lives
through no fault of their own,
and my heart goes out to all those people
who have lost loved ones as well as their
homes and their livelihoods
because they were overwhelmed
by the force of the storm of death and destruction
that war always rains down upon
everyone who find themselves in a war zone
that was once a place where many considered their home…
this world has been here before,
this world has been on the brink
of self-destruction because of humanity many times -
because we have allowed the unstoppable
war machine to continue to do what it does best:
build better weapons and come up with more efficient ways
to annihilate as many people as possible -
which, in my opinion, is the antithesis of the best of humanity…
every time I see what humanity is doing to itself,
every time I see the destruction and the decimation
that has been inflicted upon the homes of the victims,
and whenever I see the faces of the survivors
of the attacks and the atrocities that have been committed
by the opposing factions of a war,
I struggle to understand and to imagine
how and when this world will ever come to its senses
and end the suffering of the world once and for all;
however, I cannot help myself
from continuing to hope that one day
the long shadow that the world now lives underneath
will disappear and humanity will become
less obsessed with building and using
weapons of mass destruction
and bring about a present when we will never again
have to live in a state such as the one
it feels as if we are living in right now:
an era that undoubtedly feels
like a time of war.
My Poem “Soldier On”
Life is full of surprises…
the world is full of possibilities…
everybody can be happy one day
and then sad the next…
each of us all go through times
of grief and loss that make us
who will be going forward for the rest of our lives…
the best of us are often called upon
to pick ourselves up and asked
to commit ourselves to a cause
that is worth more than could possibly be known…
even those who may have never known
the hardships of those who have had
to fight their entire lives
sometimes have to become something
and someone who has to daily find the strength
to keep going and to keep doing what they
have been asked to do by a higher power
than themselves…
over time friends can become strangers,
allies can become adversaries,
and the relationships that we all share with some people
can become upended and never return
to how they once were -
because everything and everyone always changes…
pain and suffering can be the catalyst
responsible for transforming
an innocent into a soldier
who has to become a selfless survivor
on the battlefield of life that they envision before them -
while in private even the most fearless
and inspiring of leaders cry for their old life
and wish to return to a place and a time
when things were simpler
and they weren’t living every minute of their lives
as if they were in the middle of a war…
even the most beautiful of sunrises and sunsets
can give brief moments of peace, silence, and solace
to those who have little time to spare to enjoy the world
for how others still see and believe it to be;
however, time marches on,
the world continues to spin on its axis,
and the endless cycle of violence and chaos
does not stop spreading its shadow
across the landscape of the world -
and all any of us can do is keep to our word,
to stay true to the path in front of us, to keep doing our best,
to keep being all that we can be,
as we all soldier on.
My Poem “War of Words”
Even some of the longest
and the most devastating conflicts
that the people of our planet have known
have started with something seemingly
so small, so simple, and so subtle as a single word,
or a whisper in the ear of someone
whose voice and influence carries farther than others…
even some of the most seemingly innocent
and quiet people on Earth
are capable of inflicting a great deal of harm
and can create a great deal of damage –
because though they appear to be someone
who would not say anything to anybody,
behind closed doors some people
are not who and what they seem
and they take any opportunity to
talk about others and attempt to
ruin how people they don’t like are perceived…
even the closest of friends
can find themselves falling out with one another
because they believe that their relationship
has changed to such a drastic degree
that there is no going back to how things were
when things were good…
even some days that begin without
anything to grumble about
can slowly descend into a “day from hell” –
when everything seems to go wrong,
when no one can find mutual understanding,
nor common ground,
and when every interaction feels like a fight
that will only escalate and get out of hand
the more that time goes on…
even something that was originally intended
to be a joke can be twisted and turned
into something that is a far cry
from what it was supposed to be –
and as a result feelings can be expressed,
things can be said, choices can be made,
and what will happen next may not
be what was expected, nor wanted,
because it doesn’t take long for
“nothing” to become “something”,
nor does it take long for something that is said
to be taken out of context,
and it doesn’t take long before
there are the first of many exchanges shared
within a war of words.
Taken from my poetry collection ‘The Storyteller’ – out now: https://amzn.eu/d/fJUJ6Ss
Poet of the Multiverse – republished
Get your copy of the new hardback version of my book ‘Poet of the Multiverse’!
Originally published in 2022, ‘Poet of the Multiverse’ symbolised a landmark moment in my journey as a poet, as a writer, and as an author, because it was released 10 years after the first publication of my first book ‘Poet of the Sphere’.
‘Poet of the Multiverse’ and the poetry within were published when I began to look upon who and what had brought me to where I found myself at that time in my life – both personally, as well as creatively – and, as I did, I began to see a pattern, as well as a multitude of choices, paths, and “What if?” moments which have defined me and have shaped me into who I am in so many ways.
I have always been fascinated by the thought of what might have happened if each and every one of us had made different decisions at a particular moment in our lives; however, the more that I think about what choices I made – some based solely on instinct and intuition – I continue to be believe that what happened was always meant to happen for a reason, including: I was always meant to be the “Poet of the Sphere” and a “Poet of the Multiverse”.
You can get your copy of the new hardcover version of ‘Poet of the Multiverse’ – including a brand new cover design – from Amazon now!
Too Close To The Sun – republished
My short-story and poetry collection ‘Too Close To The Sun’ is once again available to buy from Amazon in its new hardcover edition – but now with a brand new cover, and including a never before published short-story called ‘Nora’.
The stories and poems within ‘Too Close To The Sun’ represent a shift, as well as an experimentation phase, in my journey as a writer and an author. When it was first published in 2016, I knew that ‘Too Close to the Sun’, was somewhat of a new beginning and a new direction for me – and the stories and poems within are symbolic of what kind of writer and storyteller I have grown to become, and what kind of stories I am interested in telling.
“A sad story about the end of the line for a lonely ghost girl. The thrilling tale about the devilish gift of a psychic psychopathic psychotherapist. A word of warning about the wicked “Witch in The Well”. A ray of hope in form of a story about a New York City bartender who discovers that there is more to life, and to death, than they could ever have imagined. A vision of another universe where a vengeful Vampire King finds love, but who must also embrace his fate. The tale of a dragon and a hero – who both discover they are not who they think they are.
Short-stories and poems of strange, magical, and extraordinary other realities that exist on the other side of doors that lead to other worlds and possibilities that can be found when you venture too close to the sun.”
Get your copy of the brand new hardback version of ‘Too Close To The Sun’ on Amazon now! 😎
The Dreamer and The Dream – republished
My fourth book, and my fourth poetry collection, ‘The Dreamer and The Dream’, is once again available to buy from Amazon in its new hardcover edition.
Originally published in 2015, my book ‘The Dreamer and The Dream’, contains some of my favourite poems that I have written – poems that tell you so much about what matters to me on a personal level, what drives me every day, why I am a poet, and also allowing me to express my feelings for those who mean the most to me, and who inspire me every second of every day.
‘The Dreamer and The Dream’, and its poems within, is the book, and the poetry of mine, that I have shared with more people than all others, because there is so much to discover about me within, as well as so much that I wanted to say. It’s also the book that, when I wrote and I published the poems within, made me realise who I was and who I always wanted to be: a poetry, a writer, not to mention a storyteller.
Get your copy of ‘The Dreamer and The Dream’ from Amazon now and here! 😊
My Poem “Into it”
We all know what it is like
to be “into something”,
or to be “into someone”…
we all know what it is like
to spend most of the hours when we are awake,
and to spend many of the hours when we are asleep,
thinking about, imagining, and wanting to return
to a place, to a time, and to a person
as soon as possible…
we all know what it is like
to be “into the idea” and “into the groove”
of something that gives us a sense of purpose,
direction, and a feeling that we are not
just going through the same process of life
as we have been through before
but we are doing what is right
and what is meaningful to us…
we all know what it is like
to be into a game that is playing out before us,
which we feel like we are in a position
to have an impact upon the outcome of,
in which the meeting of multiple parties
who have been called to engage with one another
in a contest that will determine whether
or not the road of fate has chosen them
for a reason that cannot be known
until the time is right…
we all know what is it like to be drawn into a story -
to be spellbound and speechless as we read,
or as we listen, to a tale being told to us -
that has a power to it that goes beyond
the words being used, as well as above,
and below, the world around us that we know…
we know it is like to be into a headspace
within which we find ourselves connecting
with something that resonates with us,
something that speaks to us,
something that teaches us,
something that makes sense
of what we have been thinking about and feeling
without knowing that there are always
messengers to deliver answers to us,
that change the way we look at ourselves…
we all know what it is like to be engrossed,
to be intoxicated, and to be addicted to something
that we didn’t know would become so
impactful and important to us…
we all know what it is like to feel lost,
and we all know what it is like to feel found -
which is why when we feel as if
we have become caught in stream
of energy and emotion that is not
just a result of our own thoughts and actions
but a mixture and a mindset
of something else that is different from us,
but connected to us,
we can find ourselves within something so deeply
that it is always hard to get out of it,
because of how much we are into it.
Mark The Poet 