Nothing and no one can prepare
for that moment of instant connection
that happens when two people
fall in love with one another...
so much can happen internally,
so much can be communicated
when two people see each other
for the first time...
nothing and no one can stop
the tidal wave of energy
that rises and then floods the air
around two people when they feel
as if their heart has been enlivened
and their soul has found
a match like no other...
so much can change when two people,
when two strangers,
realize that they have found
someone who they had no idea
they were searching for -
perhaps their entire life...
nothing and no one can feel,
nor could anyone else ever describe,
what two people who experience
this simultaneous, and sometimes supernatural,
love goes through when they find themselves
having to ask who the person
they have met is and why they
feel as if they already know them, somehow...
so much makes sense,
so much is expressed,
so much goes through
a person's mind, and so fast,
that no one could ever truly
realise everything that happens
when the look of love that is shared
by two people, within the time
that it takes for them both to blink,
inextricably creates a bond between them
that forever makes them consciously,
as well as unconsciously,
interlinked.
poetry
My Poem “The Lesson”
It was always going to be this way...
it was always going to be me
finding myself back where it all began...
it was always going to be me
returning to the same place I started -
like restarting the performance of a play...
it was always going to be
a long and eventful road that I took
before I found myself, once again,
doing what I do, what I always do,
filled with memories and inspiration,
and, as always, without anything
that might resemble a plan.
It was always going to be me,
with an open notebook in front of me,
with my silver pen in my hand,
still with a hopeful smile on my face,
writing, thinking,
remembering, recalling,
watching, observing, looking
and finding more than might meet
the eye of everyone else but me...
it was always going to be me
back writing my poetry,
within my own bubble of imagination,
as the world, the universe,
the reality of life on this planet
carries on regardless around me.
It was always going to be me;
it was always going to be
who it was when things were
how they used to be;
it was always going to be
unlike what I, or anyone,
would ever have expected -
because everything that turned out
the way that it did
seems to have conformed
to a pattern that was always meant to happen.
It was always going to be me
who would teach myself
that no matter how things
sometimes do change,
and how people sometimes
do take much-needed detours,
there is always a lesson to be learned
taught by time and by our own
inner shadow, like only they can.
My Poem “Nocturnal”
Some people, some things,
some animals, some creatures
are nocturnal by nature -
they are more active after dark
and they thrive upon
the particular pursuits
that can only be undertaken
during the time of twilight.
Under the shroud of darkness
is when some individuals live
more so than they would
under the light of day,
because their instincts are
more attuned, accentuated,
and heightened when
the senses that they were born with
can be used to their maximum capability.
From owls to bats,
from badgers to whales,
from turtles to fireflies,
from people who work as firefighters
to people who work
in a bar or in a nightclub -
so many prefer performing
and engaging in professional
and personal activities
when there is not as much
exposure as there is when
everything can clearly be seen.
As some people get older,
they find that they are unable
to stay up as late as they used
to be able to in their youth...
when some people have children
they find themselves having to
attend to those in their care
at times when it is not convenient -
including when others are
fast asleep and tucked up in their bed...
for some people, it is
what makes the night-time so special and so magical
which keeps them awake -
in particular, those who like to look up
to the sky and marvel at the wonders
that can be seen with the naked eye
that have been the stuff
of dreams and fireside stories
since the first of humanity
discovered that it is
sometimes essential
to be nocturnal.
My Poem “Wild Card”
There is always one...
there is always someone
who stands out from the crowd
because they refuse
to be like everyone else,
to think like everyone else,
to feel like everyone else -
even from those who
they consider their friends,
as well as from those of their family...
there is always someone extraordinary
who is capable of seeing what others cannot,
who can see a path where others see none,
who can work with what they have got
and make something seemingly out of nothing -
someone who is intrigued
by the mysteries of the unknown
and the uncertainties of life
that lie just beyond
the limits of their own eyes,
and who does not fear
where the universe will take them...
there is always something
that captures the imagination
and inspires the gift of the soul of someone special
to go out and touch the energy
of the cosmic poetry around the world
that binds us all together,
and, in doing so, introduces them
to people along the way
who will influence them
to shine brighter than
the stars of the night-sky
and also inspire others
to follow their lead
with the commitment of a dart...
there is always someone
whose destiny is to go where
they know they need to venture -
even if doing so can't, at first, be understood;
because everybody has to do
what they have got to do,
and sometimes when people
have such a determination
and carry such a spark
of change within their heart,
they can be considered
a "wild card".
My Poem “The True Journey”
As one day becomes another...
as one year ends and another begins...
as time resets with an explosion of light and colour...
as people simultaneously celebrate
what has come before
and hope for what awaits,
nobody can truly know how
they reached the point of crossroads
that they find themselves at,
nor where the path
in front of them will take them;
however, each of us can rest assured
that the past influences the present,
just as the present dictates the future,
and all of our overlapping
and interwoven interactions
have a resonance that rings out
beyond the waves that are generated
at a moment of creation,
at an explosion rebirth,
at an instance of regeneration,
at a point when a threshold
is traversed,
and, as a result, a door
to a new world opens...
as we all continue to walk
where we have walked before,
as we all continue to share eye contact
with those whom we regularly see,
as we all continue to speak
and hopefully be heard,
we all hope that the first time
will not be the last time,
and that no matter what we have done
and how much time
we have left on Earth,
it goes without saying
that there is always more
for each and every one of us
to reach for, experience, and explore -
because the true journey has no end.
My Poem “Christmas Special”
Some people, some things, some places
are special all year round -
but some people, some things, some places
feel more "Christmas Special"
because they can seem to symbolise
what makes Christmas the magical
time of the year that it can be.
Some songs, some films, some episodes
of some TV shows can only be
truly enjoyed when it is
the intended time of the year
that they were made to capture the feeling of -
whether that is the old favourite
Christmas songs like:
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love,
"Last Christmas" by Wham!,
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey,
"Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues;
or festive movies, such as:
"Home Alone," "It's A Wonderful Life,"
"Miracle on 34th Street," "Scrooge,"
"Elf," or "Santa Claus: The Movie,"
and many, many others -
which over time have become
staples of the festive experience,
and without them Christmas
just would not be Christmas.
Some pieces of clothing -
such as festive sweaters and Santa hats...
some food and drink -
such as turkey, stuffing, mince pies,
mulled wine...
some decorations -
such as tinsel, baubles,
and of course Christmas trees...
some weather conditions -
such as snow and ice -
seem to go with the time of the year
when Christmas is celebrated,
but might seem out of the ordinary
and an inconvenience at any other time
before or after the month of December.
Some things just sum up what Christmas is all about
and what it means to so many people
all over the world...
some customs -
like decorating a real or an artificial tree,
or taking children to see Father Christmas -
are amazing and wonderful...
some of the rituals that people
like to partake in -
like going to church, lighting a candle,
or saying a prayer for
a dearly missed loved one -
are much needed for so many
to allow them to cope through
a sometimes difficult period
when so many people feel
at their most vulnerable...
some of the most precious
and joyous moments
you will witness all year
happen when people show how sharing,
how caring, and how selfless they can be -
and I think it is the way that people
communicate through their thoughts,
through their messages,
and through their actions,
which makes Christmas truly special.
Merry Christmas! 🎄
‘The Angel’s Halo’ (2016) – The Complete Short Story
My Poem “Follow Your Heart”
Follow your heart,
even if your head tells you not to...
Follow your heart,
even if you do not at first know
what it wants you to do...
Follow your heart,
because your heart is literally
what drives you...
Follow your heart,
because your heart is
the one thing about you
that has been there for you
and has kept you alive
throughout everything that you
have had to go through.
Our imagination is where we dream
and where we find our ideas
for what we want to make real...
our memories are the roots of the garden
where the flowers of the seasons
to come of our life will grow...
our relationships, how we are perceived,
and how we perceive others,
are what we use to build the picture
within our mind that we hold on to
and constantly refer back to...
our achievements -
personal, as well as professional -
are what act as lighting rods
that ground us whenever we may
find ourselves surrounded by
chaos on an unimaginable scale...
our intentions are not always
going to be selfless,
because everybody is human
and sometimes selfish -
but as long as no harm follows
in the wake of our actions
then we should all sometimes
explore opportunities with the same
enthusiasm of life as that of a child
that can sometimes manifest itself
spontaneously and out of the blue.
There is always a reason for everything...
There has to be more than meets the eye...
There is always something that
captures our imagination
more so than something else...
There has to be a first,
and there has to be a last -
but in between those two extremes
there will always exist a world
of possibilities and poetry
where and when so much can be
witnessed, felt, read, heard,
thought about, and dreamt of...
there is so much that you can learn
from simply listening...
there is always more to gain
by choosing to try...
there are so many people
who can empathise with the pain
and the suffering of someone else...
there are always going to be things
that happen to us that will shake
the ground beneath our feet,
that will disturb the equilibrium within our thoughts,
that will test us with the curse of uncertainty -
but everybody has to fight
every day to find the strength
to do what must be done,
to be able to feel what we have
always known we would have to feel,
to climb out of the darkness
where we can sometimes find ourselves,
and by following our heart
we can come to realise that
there are more things possible
than there are imaginable.
Short story: ‘The Angel’s Halo’ (2016): “The Angel’s Halo” – part 2
My Poem “Not Doing Christmas”
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year,
Christmas can feel magical to children
and to people of all ages,
Christmas is about family and connection
and it is about sharing love and friendship;
however, for a lot of people,
more so now than ever,
Christmas is a time that they dread,
Christmas can feel too much,
Christmas is a time that reminds
some people what and who they have lost.
Christmas decorations are lovely,
sending Christmas cards is sweet,
Christmas parties and gatherings are great,
and it is always good to let your hair down
and socialise with those whom you work with,
or perhaps those whom you may only see once a year;
but there are so many lonely people
who feel at their lowest during the festive period,
because they feel as if they have
forever lost the spirit that they once
had within them to be able to
enjoy the traditions
that have gone hand in hand
with Christmas and the New Year -
so much so that they wince
at the words "happy" and "merry"
that are used when someone
utters a Christmas wish.
Some people will have no choice
but to spend their time away from
those whom they love
because coming together is feat that,
for multiple reasons, is particularly difficult...
for some people, Christmas
just does not feel the same as it used to
when times were better
and when there was more to look forward to.
Some children will make a list
or write a letter to Father Christmas
and hope that they get what they asked for;
however, every year, so many parents
know that there is no way
that they will be able to give
their children what they want,
but they will always endeavour
to give their children what they can,
and more than anything
love, happiness, and protection
is all that they really need.
For some people, Christmas is
when they can be themselves -
but, for some, Christmas can be
when people look into the faces
of family members and wish
that they could bring them back full to health.
On Christmas day, multiple families
will open presents in the morning
and then in the afternoon
they will gather around a table
and enjoy a Christmas feast;
however, there will be those people
who on Christmas day will
not have one Christmas present to open
and will consider Christmas day
just like any other day.
There is always a reason for everything -
and while some people will make
the most of every second of
"The most wonderful time of the year",
some people will not will watch
the festive period pass without a fuss
because, for personal reasons,
they choose to not do Christmas.
Mark Hastings 