If we do not, sometimes, find ourselves
encountering a barrier between
where we are and where we want to be,
then how would we know if where we want to go
is actually the place where we are meant to be?
Because when we find ourselves
encountering something stopping us
from proceeding down the road
we know leads to the next step in our life,
the question is: what will we do to keep going?
What will we do to break through the walls
that sometimes rise up before us?
What will we use to make sure that
nothing and no one will ever stand between us
in our pursuit of what we believe is meant for us to possess and to embrace?
Happiness; the truth; peace; security;
serenity; light; love; dignity; discovery -
every day, some people are driven
in such profound, powerful, beautiful, and inspiring ways,
because they believe they are supposed to be
somewhere, doing something, for someone,
and they will do anything to make
something happen that needs to happen…
some people are always ready and willing
to be called into action when they are needed…
some people are so selfless that they regularly
volunteer to put their own lives on the line
for someone who they don’t know
and most likely have never met before,
because something inside them
is always telling them that they are
more important than the realise
and one day might be the last piece in the puzzle that brings order to chaos.
Despite what some might say,
it’s never wrong to fight for what you believe in…
despite how much some people might try
and drown you out,
it’s never wrong to say when someone is wrong
and you can prove that they are…
despite what some people might believe,
it’s never the wrong time to start something new
and to do what you have always wanted to do…
despite how much some people think you have,
or they do not have, everyone can always find
something, or perhaps someone, in this world
that can give them the best possible chance
of being able to make a difference in their life,
and perhaps in the life of others,
simply by having the courage and the ability
to never stop being themselves,
to never stop striking out when the need arises,
to never stop trying, striving, and sometimes fighting
for what they and others believe and know to be true,
to never stop learning from the mistakes of the past,
and never stop overcoming
what lies before them until it is behind them -
because sometimes we all have to do our part,
to make our mark, to contribute to the world
by going against the grain,
by rebelling against the enemies of freedom,
and by swearing to uphold the values
of the best of humanity,
and by showing what it is to be the embodiment
of what it means to be a member
of the always necessary resistance.
rebels
My Poem “Expect the Unexpected”
When we are children we are told what we can, what we cannot, what we should, and what we should not do... even as we get older some people do not want to give up their control over their offspring and allow them to walk on their own two feet and give them the gift of trust and independence... if people are beholden to too many restrictions when they get the opportunity some people will naturally rebel - especially if they feel as if they have nothing to lose... if people are told that plans have already been made for them to do something, without first being consulated, then independently minded individuals will give their own two cents and go their own way - because some people do not like having the gift of choice being taken away from them... there is an unmistakable look in the eye of someone who is always going to buck the trend and not do what they are told... there is a noticeable expression on the face of those who say one thing but who are almost definitely going to do the opposite... there is a path of past actions and transgressions that when reflected upon may be able to predict when, why, and how someone will ultimately break the mould... there is an unwritten rule that even the most predictable, dependable, and admittedly boring people can at times surprise even themselves - and that is why, even of ourselves, we should all sometimes expect the unexpected.
My Poem “Outlaws”
When I was a kid
I was always fascinated by
legendary heroes and characters
such as Dick Turpin, Robin Hood,
Sinbad, Zorro, and many other
renowned outlaws of their
respected times and societies,
who rebelled against what
they saw as a dictatorial
state of being that people
were being forced to live in,
who decided to rob from the rich,
deliver to the poor, and fight
for the right of the innocent
to live free and happy
and content in the knowledge
that there was someone
looking out for their interests
and watching over them.
Heroes of conscience
who live every day of their life
fueled by the hope that they can
make a difference and right
the wrongs of tyranny
have been featured in so many
of the tales that humanity
has been telling itself for centuries,
and even in our modern age
those same characters still
embody and have associated with them
a symbolism and an enduring example
of just how powerful the human spirit
can be when it finds itself facing off against injustice.
There will always be injustice in this world
and there will always be a place
in the stories that we all tell ourselves
for extraordinary individuals
who have the courage of their convictions
to put the needs of the many
before the needs of the few
and commit to enacting
their own form of rebellion
by staying true to a code of behaviour that in their eyes of the oppressor
might be considered
the actions of an outlaw.
My Poem “The Underdog”
Underdogs are always underestimated –
however, in the same breath,
underdogs are also expected
to accomplish a sometimes almost
miraculous feat and overcome
every obstacle in their path…
underdogs are usually the ones
that a crowd of people gets behind
and roots for, because people
like the idea of being a participant
and a witness to a remarkable event
in a person’s life, their story,
their legend, their journey…
underdogs can sometimes appear
to have come from out of nowhere –
however everybody knows that someone
can only make a difference if
the right version of them shows up
and they put everything into
whatever they are doing…
an underdog is a rebel of the status quo…
an underdog is someone who does not know
when to lay down their sword
and keep their head low…
over the centuries history has recorded
the deeds and the words of underdogs
who answered a call to face an opponent
who towered above them in some way –
just like in the story of David and Goliath –
and it is because of these heroes,
and these icons of inspiration,
who chose to rise to the occasion
that they found themselves presented with,
that people all around the world
still to this day battle in arenas
of many kinds and sizes
and valiantly personify the importance
and the meaning of being an underdog.
My Poem “The Fire-starters”
Everybody always remembers “The Fire-starters” –
the rebels, the ones who created their own path,
the ones who lived their life on the edge,
the truly unique, the individualistic,
the punks, the ground-breakers, the pioneers,
the ones who spoke their mind,
the ones whose heart beat to a different
rhythm than everyone else’s,
the artists, the ones with an inner voice
that hungered to be heard,
the prodigies, the impulsive, the unorthodox,
the ones who ventured to places
where angels sometimes fear to tread,
the ones who daily grappled with personal demons,
the ones who hoped to make a difference
by being themselves, by being different,
by exploring every avenue
of life that they could find,
the ones who walked a line,
the ones who wore black, white,
and every colour of the rainbow,
the radicals, the only one of their kind,
the ones who could have the deepest
and the most meaningful conversations
with anyone about every subject matter…
Our world would not be what we see
if it were not for those who understood
the power of change, music, madness,
love, revolution, redemption,
and the wave of rejuvenation
that you can experience through
a fit of laughter…
Our universe would not be what it is
without those who understand and realize
how important the gift of diversity is to all of us…
Our existence would not be what it is
and it would not be as tolerable to some people
if they could not be who they felt they should be,
who they feel they need to be,
who they are fated to be –
and some of the greatest minds,
the greatest teachers,
the greatest influences over humanity
throughout history,
have been what you could call
“Fire-starters”.
Mark The Poet 