The Pathfinder: Universal Translation

In this episode, Mark recites his poem “Universal Translation” from his 2024 poetry collection ‘The Pathfinder’ – which is now available to buy in paperback and as an ebook from Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/aXnSwxa and you can check out more of Mark’s poems at http://MarkThePoet.Me

My Poem “Universal Translation”

We all go through life
looking for connections...
we all venture far and wide
searching for similarities...
we all journey to places
hoping to make some happy memories
and to have some fun...
we all trek, voyage,
and ultimately discover,
the deeper that we dive
into the relationships
that define the human adventure,
that the frontier of understanding
is one that is infinite.

I always find it amazing and fascinating
when I meet someone who speaks
one of the same languages that I do -
especially when there is also
a meeting of minds that
instantly and naturally occurs...
I always feel fulfilled
after talking with someone
who I might have just met
who immediately recognises that
we have something in common
by the recognition of something that I am wearing,
because the near effortlessness
of our communication reminds me
that we are all meant to find people
who we can give back to and can give us
the best of each others worlds.

I have always been hopeful
and optimistic about the future, the world, the universe,
the possibilities of everything and everyone...
I have always formed bonds with
fellow enthusiasts of the same things,
the same places, the same areas of interest,
the same sources of escapism and enjoyment...
I have always known
that the only way to find commonalities is to use
the means at your disposal
to look beyond what is going on
around you
and follow the steps
to where people like me
wait to be found and reminded
that they are not alone...
I have always believed that
what and whom we choose to engage with
influences us in ways that cannot be quantified,
but the more that we meet and talk
with others who just want to
make the most of what fills them with passion
we find that we share a dialogue
that will forever be a gift
of universal translation.