No matter what I do, no matter who I meet, I jump into everything with all my heart and with both feet... I have always believed that sometimes you need to either go all in, or go home - because life needs to be lived not waited for like a phone call... no matter what has happened, no matter what I have done, I have lived a life of laughter and fun, with some people who might never again look my way and may even choose to cross a busy street just so they don't run into me... I have walked, I have ran, I have flown, and I have fallen - but no matter what life has thrown at me, and no matter what people have put me through, if my time on Earth were to end tonight then I could honestly say that I have had a ball... no matter the smiles, no matter the tears, no matter the denials, no matter the fears - I hope people who have danced with me will remember forever where and when we had our moments to shine in our own spotlight, and remember that there were times when everything felt like a dream because our shared moments were better than we could have imagined... everybody who gives something of themselves knows that they will never recieve in return anything close to the energy and the love that they once gave to someone else - but sometimes in life you have to gamble, you have to show that you do not flinch, and you have to show the hand of cards that you have been dealt and go all in.
relationships
My Poem “Embraced”
Everybody wants to live in hope when they are awake... everybody wants to dream of infinite possibilities when they asleep... everybody sees things that for some reason they instantly take to their heart and love... everybody - whether they remember or not - experiences internal moments of freedom during which they may have imagined that they had the gift to be able to fly, or perhaps talk to someone living or dead - someone who they may know, or someone who they may have always wanted to meet. Everybody is sometimes their own worst critic... everybody, most of the time, wants themselves to be a winner... everybody has something that they are meant to receive and to give... everyday everybody comes up with multiple ideas, but to be able self-actualize an idea and see it jump from someone's mind onto a page, and then perhaps become tangible and seemingly "more real", sometimes creators need to risk a part of themselves if they truly want to see their dreams delivered. Everybody will succeed, and everybody will fail... everybody will find themselves throughout their life in need of something or someone, and everybody will sometimes find themselves inextricably walking in circles and figuratively chasing their own tails... everybody has to eat... everybody has to drink... everybody has to breathe... everybody has to sleep... everybody sometimes has to be the chaser and everybody sometimes has to be the chased... everybody sometimes has to be the embracer and sometimes everybody needs to be the embraced.
My Poem “Celestial Love”
Let us take to the road
and we’ll go for a drive…
let us take out a boat
and we’ll sail upon the waves
of an ocean all day and all night…
let us take a plane
and we’ll fly to Spain…
let us take a hot air balloon
and we’ll drift above dark clouds
full of thunder and rain…
let us take a rocket
and we’ll launch into space…
let us float above the Earth in zero-gravity
and we’ll look down at everybody
and wave as we hold one another
in an out of this world embrace…
let us fall asleep side by side
on a starship to a solar system
that has two stars within it instead of one
and before we know it we’ll be waking up
and having to convince ourselves
that what we are seeing is better than a dream…
let us make a new home for ourselves
upon the surface of an alien planet
that looks like Earth but which
from orbit looks to be more blue than green –
and after we settle down upon
this new place of possibility
we’ll look up to the stars above
through a telescope and find
Earth’s flickering blue glow
and we’ll both look at one another
and agree that even in comparison
to all the wonders of the universe
there has never been two souls
who have always been meant to be,
because our life is a constant
celebration of our celestial love.
My Poem “Reason to Live”
Bubbles, snow-globes,
enclosed worlds within worlds…
distracted people drawn away
from the real world around them,
focused upon another place, another time,
and people other than
those right in front of them…
books, screens, words, images, suck people in…
stories, tales, reports, events,
experiences present the different lives
that people choose to live.
Humanity have always been dreamers…
humanity has always been a species
of detectives searching for a truth…
humanity has always been a collective
of connected lives that progress
further in their development
when they work together with a common goal…
every man, every woman, every child
has known, since the first man
and the first woman opened their eyes
and looked upon one another,
that there was more to be found
and more to be seen when there is
a meaningful union of minds,
hearts, bodies, and souls.
People in a relationship
always share things that are unique:
memories, experiences, thoughts, feelings,
likes, dislikes, and commonalities
that are exclusive to them…
everybody is brought together for a reason:
in order to make sure that the universe
unfolds the way it is supposed to –
and that is why, in this life, in this world,
everybody gets back what they give.
Every day things need to be done,
choices need to be made,
and as a result we may be required
to reap what we sow – in other words:
if you are good, if you do good,
if you express good thoughts
and you have good intentions,
then one day, maybe, you will come through
all the storms of trouble and confusion
that are put in front of you,
and no matter what anybody says
and no matter what anyone does
you will bask in the light of hope,
influence and inform the world
around you, and give someone
who feels as if they are adrift
the gift of a lift that will
give them a reason to live.
My Poem ‘Too Close To The Sun’
Just like Icarus’ wings of wax,
everybody has something precious
that keeps them flying;
just like Achilles,
nobody is completely invulnerable –
even if they believe themselves
to be blessed by immortality;
just like Adam and Eve in the Bible,
there is nobody who has not looked
at something and has not been tempted
by the prospect of tasting and trying;
just as our eyes can only see
the light reflected back at us,
nobody should ever mistakenly believe
that they know or may have seen
everything that there is –
because just one step beyond the horizon,
above the clouds,
past the silver crescent of the moon,
there lies knowledge and wonders
that number into the realm of infinity,
improbability, and endless possibility.
There are times when our minds
can feel like a cave of echoes;
there are times when our memories
flash-back to life
like the lightning of a thunder-storm;
there are times when a brand new song
can be composed and heard
as the leaves of trees rustle
and as every-day objects
become instruments as the wind blows;
there are times when a heart
can be broken and then remade again
in an instant –
it is a moment that many mothers and fathers
have felt simultaneously
when they heard the first out-cry of life
from their newborn.
It is better to risk and fail
than to fail by not ever taking a risk;
it is better to take a chance
than to have your chance
at something taken away;
it is better to see what happens
than to live a life
as if ticking off things
on a check-list;
it is better to grasp
and fill a moment of time,
even if with a world of silence,
or music, than to watch a clock
tick down to the last second of the day.
Most great discoveries
are those that you have to dig for;
most great adventures began
by taking a running-jump;
most great relationships came to be
because the feelings and the connection
that you instantly felt
eclipsed all those that had come before;
most great myths were written,
and most great stories were inspired,
by those who chose to throw caution to the wing
and consciously flew too close to the sun.
My Poem ‘Energy’
The life-giving light
and heat of the sun
that fills us all with energy,
zest, and drive –
like a solar-powered battery;
the rush of adrenaline
that courses through our veins
and gives us the stamina
and the vigor to keep going;
the inspiration that writes itself
in verses of poetry;
the motivation that keeps
the constant creation of new ideas flowing.
Energy can be felt;
energy can be sensed;
energy can be our richest source of wealth;
energy cannot be fenced;
energy has a spirit;
energy never dies;
energy has no true limit;
energy is everywhere –
it is abundant first thing in the morning at sunrise,
it can be seen when snow is falling silently at night;
energy can turn into tears
and can be tasted when someone cries.
Love is the energy of the gods and the heavens;
light is the energy of the stars;
memory and magic is the energy that enchants
an entire life and gives nature
and the universe its essence;
imagination is the energy that allows us
to travel to different worlds
and imagine the human race one day
living on another planet,
perhaps even Mars.
Our thoughts create waves
in the ocean of energy
that connects every shore on Earth;
our emotions can change
our entire perspective of life;
our relationships with people and things
are constantly changing, evolving,
and are in different stages of rebirth –
even when the sun is in the sky,
it can sometimes be hard to realize
if it is in fact day or whether it is night.
Energy comes in many forms;
hope is the energy
that is always ringing my doorbell,
and knocking at my front-door;
the energy of purpose,
the feeling of belonging,
the source and the muse of the artist,
can grow to become as important
as the blood being pumped
by your heart around your body;
wherever you go, wherever you look,
whatever you instantly ‘just know’,
whatever you touch,
is a fountain, a volcano,
and is like a magnet
that is constantly drawing people and life to it,
that is like a lightning-rod
and a furnace of unbelievable
and incredible energy.
My Poem ‘An Acquired Taste’
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 ‘Hang Out’
In arcades, in malls, in parks,
in places where people assemble like disciples,
in large groups, in smalls numbers,
there are places that continue to attract people,
for one reason or another,
because of what they mean,
and because of what they offer.
Friends meet up to talk, to see each other,
to catch up, to share some time with each other,
to have a drink with each other,
to have lunch with each other,
to maybe see a film at the cinema with each other,
to have fun with each other,
to celebrate life, and to continue to bond with each other.
The things that interest us,
the things that we think about
and feel the most passionate about,
are mostly the same things
that our friends think about,
and usually that is the reason that they are our friends;
the things that we could only share with our friends,
and talk about with our friends,
are usually the things that we cannot speak
to anyone else about –
because unless they know us and who we are,
the context of what we have to say
would be unfathomable to understand.
It’s easy to hang out with people who you don’t know,
but have something in common with,
now more than ever;
where before you would have to arrange a place
and a time to see and to talk to someone,
now, in the instantaneous interconnected age
of infinitely accessible knowledge,
we all can reach out in a second to someone
who might live five thousand miles away,
or five minutes down the road,
and have a conversation with them
using incredible technology in the palm of your hand,
as well as share moments that you have captured
and think they might like.
For thousands of years, people young and old,
children and adults, at different stages in their lives,
have come together to be in the same place,
at the same time as people
with whom they are exactly alike
to the degree that you might think
that they were separated at birth.
The draw to something amazing, and mesmerizing –
a feeling, a light, a flame, a memory,
an individual, a shared understanding –
is one that everybody and every thing
has felt and feels daily in all walks of life,
and to those who are members of every species on Earth.
There are things that we all want to discover,
and learn more about;
there are people who we wish we knew personally,
and we feel things for them
that before them we never felt.
There are clubs, colours, books,
music, past-times, fashions,
that can unite the many and the few, equally –
so much so that they make our heart shout.
There will always be places, and people,
where, and with with whom,
that we will crave to be, and to see,
to spend as much time in their embrace,
and simply hang out.
My Poem ‘Aubergine’
Who can predict what a new day will be about
when they wake up in the morning;
who can tell what the moments of a life
may some day come to mean;
who can truly know why songwriters write the songs that they do,
and infuse such emotion and intensity in the words that they sing;
who can understand the ‘codeword’
shared between a small group of people,
if they don’t know what it means,
especially if you are unaware of the history
and the shared etymology that radiates from a word or a phrase –
especially when the codeword in question
happens to be “aubergine”.
It’s fun to share exclusive relationships with people;
it’s amazing to have secret ciphers in your mind
that you can use to decode an encrypted message at a moments notice;
it’s great to have the vision to see the seemingly invisible,
as if you have got a magic eye;
it’s inspiring talking and meeting someone when all things feel equal;
it’s a sacred moment when you see
the beautiful pink and white petals of a lotus;
it’s wonderful making a new tie.
People speak, even when their lips are tight and their voice is silent.
Sometimes a picture says it all.
Words and memories mean more to some people than others,
because to a lot of people things are said but they are not meant.
Nothing can hold back a flood – of water, of emotion –
and over time levels of things rise and fall;
however, there comes a point when things overflow
and nothing on Earth can hold back anything again,
not even the best built wall.
If you believe that there is nothing to do,
if you think that you have seen it all,
if you just keep repeating what you have heard,
you need to find a way to take off the shades that you are wearing
that are blurring and distorting your vision of your surroundings,
and look somewhere and go somewhere where you have been countless times –
however, if you look without any expectation,
and if you try to clear your mind of your collected emotional shadows,
you may see something that you have never seen.
Even a grain of sand has its own story;
every dream that everyone has is a truth-based alternate-reality fantasy;
even a meal could not come into being
if where the ingredients of it originated hadn’t at some point
once been a seed, or someone’s idea of a dream;
everything is the favourite of someone;
everybody everyday ventures out onto the sea of life,
like a surfer holding, relying, using, keeping afloat, and swimming,
farther and farther out on the water
towards the direction of the approaching and oncoming waves;
and as they see something about to hit them at full-speed
everyone says something to themselves,
or to anyone who may be listening,
and it could be anything:
my word of the day, that will help and assist me
in riding the waves that face me today,
is a word that you don’t see or hear everyday –
my word of the day is the tasty-sounding, nutritious,
and deeply meaningful muse, that has the codeword “aubergine”.
Mark The Poet 