One of the most beautiful and truly breathtaking sights that we mere mortals get to see is the last glimpse of daylight when the sun slowly disappears below the horizon at sunset, when day becomes night; and to me, for some reason, a sunset sometimes has even more of an impact upon me than witnessing a sunrise - because, for so many reasons, seeing the sun set reminds us all of how precious time is, how short life is, and how one day we will all see a last day when we will all close our eyes for the last time and day will forever become an eternal night. Sunsets happen too early for some people - however, everybody has at least once in their life enjoyed the experience of sitting, or standing, like a statue or a monument, as the last rays of the sole star at the centre of our solar system touches us and allows our shadow self to be caste upon the ground behind us... there is no more astounding moment like sitting upon the infinite grains of sand of a beach as the bright sunlight retreats to its source, as the temperature drops, as the air grows cold, and as the song of the sun is replaced by the crashing chorus of the waves of the sea, as the ocean tide recreates the shoreline, as above the clouds the stars of the cosmos sprinkle down a healthy dose of stardust to inspire the dreams of countless. Sunrises remind us all of new life... sunsets remind us all of how far we have all come and what we have done - and, in my experience, there is no more perfect time to sit and reflect upon life and our place in nature than on a summer's evening in June... sunrises remind us all of how amazing it is to be alive... sunsets remind us all that sometimes when something is over it is over though an echo of what was might in some form remain - however, I am sure that we can all agree that the journey of some things and the journey of some people are sometimes over way too soon.
sunrise
Mark The Poet – The Podcast: Episode #2
Hi, everyone!
I would like to extend an offer to anybody who might wish to become a part of Mark The Poet – The Podcast, perhaps in the form of a message that they would like to share, a story that they might want to tell, or perhaps a poem that they have written which they would like me to share or perhaps they might want record themselves, to send me a message so that I may include them and what they might wish to share in a future episode. If anybody would like to contribute to Mark The Poet – The Podcast, please contact me:
-Mark
My Poem “Between Sunrise and Sunset’
On Tuesday, September 11th, 2001,
the eyes of almost everyone on Earth
became fixed upon their television screens
which were showing the shocking
and horrific scenes that were being
played out in the land of the free,
the home of the brave –
and the population of the world,
especially the people of the
United States of America,
have not forgotten, nor will ever forget,
where they were and what they were
doing on the day that the two towers
of the World Trade Center,
in New York City, were attacked from above
and tragically fell to the ground
taking the lives of everybody within them.
Tuesday, September 11th, 2001,
is a day, a month, a year,
seared into my memory
and I will never forget the tears
that fell from my eyes
when I watched the last
moments of life of people whose
only crime was to wake up that morning
and wish to better their lives
and the lives of other people –
and from that day on,
and forevermore, we – the world –
have not been the same,
and every day we mourn.
Whenever we witness something devastating –
like the terrorists attacks of
Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 –
everybody always wishes
that they could turn back the clock
and change history in some way
so that all the people who were lost
could be brought back to life –
but, unfortunately, the terrorist
attacks that happened on
the East Coast of the United States
of America, on September 11th, 2001,
will forever leave a scar
of memory on all of us
who are living witnesses
to a world at war with itself;
however, I still remain hopeful
that one day the entire world
will wake up to the fact
that the true meaning of life is to love
and everybody deserves the gift
to be able to live in a world without fear
in which everybody is able
to do the best that they can,
to live freely, to live happily,
and to make the most
every moment of every day
between the first light of sunrise
and the last light of sunset.
Never forget.
My Poem “The Presence of Purpose”
The sight of the sun
is sometimes deceptive –
first thing in the morning
when you see the sun shining
through your bedroom window
you might expect to walk out
your door into a world of warmth –
however, especially during
the period when winter
transitions into spring,
most of the time,
even though there is a blue sky
above you to marvel at,
the air is cold and you can see
your own breath rising
in front of your face,
and you have to brace yourself
for what you might encounter…
There is nothing greater
than a winter morning
that features the brightest sunlight,
the most breathtaking and beautiful of sunrises,
and when time changes
and the clocks go back
because that is when you see
the most spectacular sunsets –
tokens of memory
to an evening of dreams
that you will never forget…
Every new day of every new season
is never the same as the one
that came before…
Every sight, every sound, every voice
of every moment is unique –
even though it may appear to be
something that is being repeated…
Every moment contains echoes of the past
and foreshadowing of the future –
however, it is mostly only in times
of reflection when we see
crossroads of existence intersect…
Mornings like this – mornings that instantly
and constantly inspire dreamers
and artists – are the best…
Being grateful for all the times
of unbridled peace and joy
that you feel and experience is important,
because life is about living, breathing,
being present in a moment,
and about feeling the positive pull
of having a presence of purpose.
“Sunrise” by Seen feat. Mark Hastings – Out Now
“Summer Melodies Vol.2” – featuring Seen and my song “Sunrise” is Out Now and available to stream and download on Spotify! Listen to our new song and the entire uplifting and progressive sounding album by following the link below:
-Mark
“Sunrise” by Seen. Featuring Mark Hastings
Hello, everyone!
It is my great honour to announce that my poetry has evolved and has taken a step into a completely different medium. By that I mean to say that one of my poems – a poem that I wrote almost 9 years ago, my poem “I’ve never seen a sunrise” – at least my recording of which, has been incorporated into, and will soon be released, as a song called “Sunrise”.
“Sunrise” – which has a trance/house/chill-out kind of vibe to it – was created by the amazing Seen who has expertly mixed my poetry and my voice, with his uplifting and energizing style of music, to create a wonderfully uplifting song that – in my humble opinion – sounds amazing!
Like I said, my original poem and my recording of it is now nearly 9 years old; however,“Sunrise” by Seen featuring Me, in my opinion, gives my poem another life and another medium by which it can be shared and enjoyed.
“Sunrise” by Seen Featuring Mark Hastings will be released on “Summer Melodies Vol.2” – a compilation album of 9 songs ranging from deep house to progressive house/trance styles of music – by Summer Melody Records on February 8th, on Beatport, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, and on all other stores on February 22nd.
Here is a trailer highlighting some of the songs that will feature on “Summer Melodies Vol.2”, including a small sample of Seen and my song “Sunrise” at the 1:13 mark:
There will be a “Summer Melodies Vol.2” Album Release Party on Saturday, February 2nd, online @ https://plug.dj/trancehousechill – if you are interested in attending the album release.
And I would just like to say how honoured I am that Seen chose one of my poems to incorporate it into what I believe is a fantastic, amazing, and uplifting song that could be enjoyed by everybody – as I hope my poetry can always be enjoyed! 😊
-Mark
My Poem “Anything is possible”
Snow fell during the night –
however, when I walked out into the cold of day
I was instantly bathed in golden sunlight…
The sky above is blue without a cloud to be seen…
Within hours all of the snow will have melted
and there will not even be a flake of snow to be seen…
Some things are temporary,
some things are set in stone…
The sun has shone every day of human history
and it will continue to light the way of our future
and remind us every day that we are not alone…
Time rushes by like a raging river
and soon disappears over the edge
of a precipice like a waterfall…
Everything is constantly in a state of change
and the fact that moments do not last forever
is both sad and yet beautiful –
just as children grow before our eyes
so too does the world,
and we are lucky to live at this moment of time
when between sunrise and sunset
and between sunset and sunrise
anything is possible.
My Poem “Words Enough and Time”
If only there were
enough words in the world
and limitless time in our lives
for each and every one of us
to find peace of mind
to fill our soul
with only the things of life
and the universe
that are among the most
wondrous and beautiful…
during an eclipse of daylight,
under the silent shadow
of a celestial event,
within the brief window
of day becoming night,
every one of us
can feel as if our lives
have become frozen
in an instant of twilight…
if only there were a way
for thoughts to break-free,
if only there were a way
for us to see the unseen,
if only there were a way
to describe the true meaning
and the transcendental
beauty of a sunrise…
if only there were
words enough and time.
markthepoet.me 