The sun has been a source of light, heat,
inspiration, fear, and adoration for many people
and civilisations over the centuries…
the sun has been, and continues to be,
a source of hope, as well as a source of dread,
for people young and old alike -
depending on when they are exposed
to its extreme power and influence…
the sun has been leaving its mark upon the world
since our planet coalesced into the rock of possibilities
that we now live on and are inextricably bound to…
the sun has been giving us gifts of life,
as well as teaching us all lessons
not to take anything for granted,
nor to be too dependent upon anything
too much for too long.
The sun has been shining like a beacon
for visitors of its solar system since its creation…
the sun has been spinning through
the arms of the stars of the galaxy since the dawn of the universe
and it has its own life cycle and periods of time
when it is more active than others…
the sun has been sending out its energy and its gravity
far and wide in sometimes noticeable
and unseen ways and waves like that of a dark ocean…
the sun has been deciding the fate of the life upon
the planets and the moons that encircle it
and those forms of life that still remain -
both “advanced” and vocal,
as well as those still hidden and silent -
and it will continue to do so for time yet,
until it comes to the end of its life
and it sends out an almighty shockwave
that will violently change the face
of everything and everyone forever after.
The sun is an important source of reinvigoration,
relaxation, and reproduction for plants and animals
and it is essential for how life on our planet
knows when, how, and why to do things…
the sun has been rising at dawn and setting at dusk
repeatedly from the perspective of many individuals
and every time it is seen from the ground,
or while orbiting in space,
everything and everyone always has this sense
and this feeling of awe and connection -
as if the sun is constantly speaking
to something within us all that beats in time with it…
the sun has been seen in many ways
and it’s has many layers to it that speak to its depth
its complexity, its context, and its place
at the centre of the wider world of our existence…
nothing and no one is anything without the sun,
and for as long as life has existed the sun
has been giving blessings and lessons
to those who bask in its eternal light -
especially those who spend as much time as they can
in worship of the celestial “sun god”.
the sun
A Journey Through Poetry #47: The Sun In My Eyes
This episode is a part of Mark’s “A Journey Through Poetry” – a personal reflection of his life as a poet, a writer, and a author – in which he recites a different poem from every one of his poetry collections. In this episode Mark recites his poem ‘The Sun in my eyes’, from his poetry collection The Sound of Mark, and he gives some insight and some context into why he was inspired to write this poem in particular.
My Poem “Trancendence”
The sun has gifted me
moments to love all my life -
from childhood memories
of playing in my garden with my sister,
to being taken to Disneyland Florida,
to riding my bike around my home village
over and over again,
to kisses with exes,
to sitting outside while enjoying
the sunshine as I drink
something to quench my thirst;
however there isn't a day that goes by
when I am not reminded that
all the time that we are gifted
is precious and fleeting,
and it is only when we look back
on Summer's gone by
that we start to realize
the world is constantly trying
to teach us something important:
none of us stay as we are,
because who we were
and those who we used to know
have become a part of
the history of our story
and they were never meant to be
anything other than what they became.
I can still recall memories
of people and places,
and I can still remember
the lasting impressions
that I felt at certain times -
but because I don't have
the same relationships
that I used to have with people,
and because I have learned
more life lessons than I can count
from all the errors
that I have made over the years,
I now feel a certain detachment
as I slowly drift further and further
away from where I came from,
who I used to be,
and who I used to believe I knew.
It occurs to me that I did not
think about the end of anything
when I was younger,
because I honestly believed
that things would
stay the same way forever -
and I can only blame myself
for having that childish mentality;
however, while growing up,
I was truly blessed by a loving family,
I was given unforgettable experiences,
I grew up at a time
when we didn't have as much
as children have now
but somehow I feel as if we had more,
and I slowly but surely
felt the awakening
of the most important,
precious, extraordinary, and phenomenal
surge of energy, light, and inspiration -
something that sometimes feels
like a magical and miraculous power
that I have always been fated to wield.
There are times when I do wonder
what would have happened if
fate had had other plans for me;
however, when I am sitting
and enjoying the sunshine
with my family and with those who know me and still love me,
it does not take me long
to snap back to the present
and realize what a gift time
with those whom you
share an unbreakable connection with
transcends everything.
My Poem “Apricity”
I have always been able to feel
and appreciate the energy
that surrounds me...
I have always been able to
subconsciously see
the spectrum of colour
that everything and everyone radiates...
I have always been able to hear
the music of the spheres -
the cosmic symphony
that the stars and planets of the universe
play every instant of every day
as members of the eternal orchestra...
I have always been able to assimilate
the knowledge of someone,
something, or somewhere
simply by reaching out
and touching the ever-present spirit
that everyone and everything
emanates and leaves behind them
like some kind of echo of their aura...
I have always been a believer
in the importance of obligation -
to the people who matter to us,
as well as to the place where we call home...
I have always been a dreamer
and someone with an imagination
that daily refreshes itself
with new hopes and dreams
for the future...
I have always been someone
who has always felt connected
to something greater than myself -
which is probably why,
even when I am seemingly by myself,
I never feel alone,
and I always feel love...
I have always been someone
with an instinct that allows me
to be able to look
and listen to someone
and instantly know what mechanism
drives their internal desires...
I have been someone
who has been able to take a walk
on a summer's day,
or stop and look up to the sky above
on a winter's afternoon,
and feel instantly inspired,
revitalised, and uplifted by the
"apricity" of every moment -
as if I am being remade every time
by the extraordinary feeling
of the sun upon my skin.
A Poem A Day #580: Solaris
My Poem “Burst”
Just like a solar storm on the surface of the sun, just like the fiery curls that the sun releases and sends out into space, just like the auroras created when the energy of the sun touches the atmosphere of our planet - everyone and everything capable of complex thoughts, feelings, and emotions often feels as if they have something within them that they struggle to contain, that they struggle to hold back, that they struggle not to express - because we are all filled with a spirit that burns like a flame, that boils like hot water, that sometimes explodes like a jet from a geyser; because everyone and everything needs at outlet to get out what has found its way within: whether that is artistically, physically, audibly, or a combination of many things all at once - because if someone or something has no means of controlled release then they might remark that they will figuratively, or perhaps literally, BURST!
A Poem A Day #465: A Stream of Starlight
A Poem A Day #464: The Brightest of the Bright
A Poem A Day #452: Orb
My Poem “Golden”
The golden light of the sun setting shone through my bedroom window, as I sat thinking about time, my life, the world, the universe and the fact that I am truly blessed by what I have and what I treasure more than I could every say... the blinding light of the sun that fills my eyes with glorious sunshine inspires my thoughts and enlightens my soul and makes me think about what and who makes me happy every day... the stream of sunlight that I am graced with showers me with a purpose and makes me smile, sigh, and feel like a child again... the light of the world that I see is exquisite and the mysteries of the Multiverse that I think about as I feel myself being carried away as if by the tide of some interstellar ocean of energy take away any feelings of regret and pain... the sun will always be there for you, as the sun had always been there for me, like the personification of a shepherd that guides their flock to where they need to be, at the same time communicating with light what can never be told... the glow of daylight, as it transitions into twilight, is bright, clear, breathtaking and shows just how much of life and everything that we are all bound to is made up of a spirit that is truly golden.
Mark The Poet 