So often in my life
I have been somewhere,
with someone, as well as alone,
when I have immediately understood
that I was witnessing something
that to me looked and felt extraordinary
in some way, shape, or form -
however, it was not until I became a poet
that I knew I had the skill set
to be able to put into words
and paint a picture with language
exactly what something in particular,
or someone in particular,
meant to me at a particular moment in time…
as time has gone by, some of the words
that I once used to describe something,
or someone, that seemed instantly amazing to me
have faded from memory -
like a photograph that has been
exposed to sunlight for too long -
and I have had to contend with
the fact that nothing remains
as they used to be forever,
because nature has a way of teaching all of us
that everything and everyone
has a purpose, a meaning,
and a reason for why they should be treated
as if it they are something unrepeatable,
unique, and a treasure like that of a rare find…
my heart has never ceased to want to
allow itself to live and breathe alongside
those of other likeminded souls,
but time and time again
my heart has been broken
and has had to repair itself
because the intentions of others were able
to override my own expectations and instincts
and lead me almost over a cliff…
my gift and my connection
to the universal muse has been able to
give me visions and dreams of places,
and my interpretation of the sound
of the orchestra of the cosmos
has allowed me to understand my place
in the grand scheme of things
when it comes to the reason why I am here -
and I must have had close to a million moments
in my time when I have seen something,
heard something, felt something,
and automatically picked up the means
to be able to carry out my destiny:
my innate ability to be able to
be witness to something and know
immediately in what way
I am going to capture it.
understanding
My Poem “In my stride”
When I was younger
I didn’t worry about anything -
I always assumed that everything
would turn out how it was supposed to,
and when it was supposed to…
as I got older, and as more pressure
was put upon me to try and find
a direction in life to proceed down,
I began to wonder what I was going to do,
where I was going to go,
and who I was going to be -
however, like always, I just presumed
that somehow, somewhere, something
would happen that would make the choices
that I had to make next simple and easy
to understand why I needed to make them,
and when I needed to make them…
when I finally began making a living
and doing what I had to do to make ends meet,
I just went with the flow and the wave
that I found myself riding
and eventually I was able to see
another avenue to venture down
that seemed more fulfilling, more exciting,
more inspiring, and more rewarding in ways
than I had known before.
As time went on, times of chaos and confusion
naturally overshadowed and influenced
the decisions that I made -
and I had to be both patient and humble
when it came to what I wanted to do,
who I wanted to be, and what I was willing
to give to reinvent myself and to receive
the necessary gifts I would require
to rise above the world of my present
and create a new version of my identity.
After I experienced the transformative
surge of feelings, emotions, and power
like that of the wonder of a child
when they see something or do something
they have never seen or done before,
I was never the same and I knew
I could never be the same again -
because what changed in me
allowed me to see, to hear, to taste, to smell,
to feel the world and the wider universe
in such a fundamentally different way
that altered me on a level that is
hard to explain and impossible to describe.
Every day whenever I look back,
or whenever I find myself somewhere new,
something within me is stirred,
something within me opens up,
something within me knows that
there is more than one way of thinking
and interpreting what presents itself to me:
something profound, something intense,
something that only I may be able to quantify initially,
until I can find a way to share and to communicate
what I know is true and what I do not need evidence of
to prove to me that more things than
could ever imagined are connected
in an infinite number of ways.
Though I know, and have always known,
that things would work out the way that are supposed to,
there have been times when my faith has been tested;
however, I have always tried to maintain my belief,
and I have always been hopeful,
that no matter what happens in life,
and no matter where I am,
things will always happen exactly
as they were intended to from the start -
so the best way to take what comes my way
is to take everything in my stride.
My Poem “The Great Communicator”
Even from a young age,
everybody finds a way
to communicate with others
what they want and what they need...
from children to adults,
everybody has their own particular way
to indicate what colours they use
to paint the world of their dreams...
growing up, everybody discovers
that they have strengths that help them
interact with the world -
but now, more than ever,
people have gotten used to
interacting with others anonymously,
and they can easily transition
from who they are, what they say,
and how they are perceived in real life,
to who they want to be,
what they want to say,
and how they want to be seen virtually.
Talking and communicating with others
is an art that does not come
as naturally to some
than it does for others...
it is always miraculous
to witness a child watch, listen, learn,
and then, over time, repeat,
and even mimic, what they have heard
and what they have seen -
and the more people
that they spend time around,
and the more time that they spend
speaking and acting without thinking,
then you get to see
who they are slowly becoming,
what they like to spend their time doing,
and perhaps what aspects
of their young personality
will become more defined
as they get older.
Not everyone grows up
having people around them
who see and immediately recognise
that they are special and gifted...
some children have parents
who immediately want to mould them
into becoming another version of them -
instead of letting their child
find their own feet, find their own language,
and find out who they are supposed to be -
which is why some children defy
the wishes of their elders
and gravitate towards those
who also share the same instinct
to insight chaos instead of maintaining order.
Everybody makes mistakes
throughout their lives,
and everybody sometimes
says the wrong thing -
even though it seemed like
the right thing to say at a particular time;
but who would any of us be
if we did not have an opportunity
to readjust ourselves after
becoming sidetracked by something
that we formed a strong relationship with.
Some people seem to have such
an innate and natural ability
to be able to do something
that it can almost seem as if
they were always meant to be
who they have grown to become;
however, each of us -
no matter how old we are -
daily have to realign ourselves
to the direction that we know
we must travel towards,
but sometimes all that people need
to guide them is an internal compass
that allows them to always find
where there "True North" lies
so that they can have something to anchor them,
while they are able to seek out
the sometimes diverse realities
that are able to exist within the same world,
as well as finding joy in the act
of walking out upon a stage
that many others have done so before
and find something
that was left for them as a gift
of the great communicator.
My Poem “From One to Another”
It is always great to be able
to share what you know
about something that
you have learned a lot about
with friends, with family,
and with people who share
the same interests as you -
but whenever you meet someone who,
from the moment that you meet them,
seems to be talking the same language
that, for so long, you were led to believe
that only you could communicate in
and understand,
then there is always
a wave of energy
that touches you...
no matter how well and how long
someone may have known you,
it is only those who have
walked the same path as you,
it is only those who have had
similar experiences as you,
it is only those who have been born
with a similar gift as you -
whatever that may be -
who can truly understand you,
and why and how you do what you do.
When you are with someone
who, like you, can see order
where others only see chaos...
when you are with someone
who, like you, enjoys looking within
while others only look outwards...
when you are with someone
who, like you, has a reason for
why they invest so much of their time
connected to something that matters to them,
every interaction can feel so effortless -
while, when you are with others
who do not share the same
passion about something,
it can be hard to put into words
to someone who does not
speak the same way as you do,
who does feel the same way
about things as you do,
who does not wish for
the same things as you do,
why, when we find ourselves
somewhere in particular,
everything feels so natural.
There is a reason why like-minded
people attend conferences
and conventions that revolve around
a common endeavour or pastime...
there is a reason why some stereotypes are true
and why certain characteristics
about certain types of people do recur...
there is a reason why certain people -
from magicians to comedians,
from actors to writers,
from garderners to aficionados
who enjoy doing many different
individual and collaborative activities -
gather together and meet
without the feeling of guilt
that can stir within you sometimes
when you reveal to someone
something that you take pleasure in doing,
as if you have committed a crime...
there is a reason why
we all secretly seek out others
who we know will immediately understand
something fundamental about us
from the instant that our paths cross -
because nothing feels more refreshing
than conversing with someone when,
whatever you say to each other,
every word uttered
feels like the steps of a sprint
that rapidly transitions
from one to another.
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.
My Poem “The Forbidden”
The draw of the forbidden…
the urge to explore
the places where very few
people have been before…
the instinct to reveal the truth
of that which is hidden,
the call of the wild
that has compelled many people
to seek out, to feel,
and to capture the energy
and the spirit that some things
naturally emanate –
symbolized in many stories
as being an apple, a chalice, a ring,
a fountain, a plant, a monolith,
a message left for others to find
so that they may experience
profound revelations that will
fundamentally change the way
that they see the world,
as well as change how they see themselves,
are as prevalent in the tales
that humanity has been telling itself
since the beginning of language
and the start of our path of discovering
who we are and what we are
in the grand scheme of universal understanding.
It is the quest of the forbidden that gives
a journey into the unknown its potency…
it is the question of what lies beyond
all the maps that have been drawn
that has attracted all the explorers
that have ever been born…
it is the danger of a forbidden vortex
that storm-chasers lust to race towards
that awakens within them
the same deep longing to push the envelope
of what is possible that precludes
so many people from being able
to silence the voice inside them
that tells them loud and clear
to never decline an opportunity
to take a bite out of
the fruit of the forbidden,
to experience what it takes like,
and to see where it takes you.
My Poem “Appreciation”
We don’t always appreciate something
when we first see them,
we don’t always appreciate someone
when we first meet them,
we don’t always appreciate what
something means when
it is first given to us,
we don’t always appreciate
what someone does for us,
until we witness the work,
the sacrifice, the effort that someone
might have had to put into something
so that people can keep living their lives
and keep doing what they like to do –
because, most of the time, in this life
most people are oblivious to
the other sides of life
that exist behind curtains, walls,
doors, barriers, even underground,
that keep the wheels of society turning…
nothing happens without first
putting some effort into something.
Everything comes from something,
something comes from someone,
someone comes from something
than someone does –
because that is the cycle of life,
that is the process of life…
life on Earth is a potent mixture
of chemistry, physics, biology,
psychology, origin, struggle,
discovery, knowledge, adaptability,
innovation, strength of spirit,
and it should be a choice
and a willingness
to want to better yourself
and make the world better for your actions.
Most people don’t appreciate
something until they
no longer have it,
and the people that
understand and appreciate
what they have should know
how lucky they are
to have what they have
and they shouldn’t wish
they had what someone else has.
Things happen for a reason –
even the things that
we wish didn’t have to happen…
most things and most people
follow a pattern of behavior
that they find hard to break free of
because when they are on
the same path that they know so well
and they might not often think about
anything else or anyone else other than
the result and the reward that they are going
to receive when they reach the end
of their current cycle of repetition.
Very few people actually know
or ever ask where, when, and how
something appeared before their eyes
to their overwhelming delight –
because no one is capable
of being witness to every step of the way,
nor every chapter of the story,
of how something found itself transitioning
from being something literal
into being something physical;
however, some people do ask themselves why
things are the way that they are,
and when they do they often times
they are unknowingly opening doors
to all the other worlds that exist on Earth
that surround us all,
and when some people step through
those doors and they take a specific journey
to a world and a life
that is so close but which feels so far away,
people can come to attain
an understanding about things,
about life, about people, about nature,
and gain a wider, deeper, richer,
and a more respectful appreciation
about what goes into making
the life that we see every day
and at the same time the same life that
we may find that we do not really know.
My Poem “It’s not rocket science”
Some things – like poetry, art,
biology, chemistry – can be easy
if you possess the right key,
that fits the right lock,
at the right time,
to open the right gateway
to the way of understanding
that you need to comprehend what you find…
some things – like being a parent –
can seem easy when seen from far away;
however, the closer that you get to anything
the more that you discover that there are
more constantly moving parts
that need to be juggled
than can be observed with an observers eye…
some things seem so simple,
but at their heart they are more
complicated, chaotic, unpredictable,
and uncontrollable than can be put into words…
the sun rising in the sky every morning,
the moon orbiting the Earth,
the Earth orbiting the sun –
things that repeat day after day,
things that we believe we understand
and have an answer for,
but which are far from
as simplistic as they appear…
even a simple magic trick
takes many instances of practice
by a magician to make them seem effortless…
even the ability to stand up straight
and not fall over is something
that most people take for granted…
even the fact that we have clean air to breathe,
sunlight to brighten our day,
trees and flowers growing all around us…
even the fact that there are
insanely complicated cycles, systems,
and forms of life – like humanity –
is proof positive that sometimes
the things that appear so perfect
take time, perseverance, and patience…
the blue sky above, the epic peaks of mountains
that tower, which are constant draws
to adventurers and explorers to conquer,
the oceans of life that are the home
of some of the most diverse and amazing
forms of curiosity known to man,
space, the stars of the night-sky –
some things, especially the simplest of things,
are the most complicated of things;
however, it isn’t until you dig deeper
into what makes something what it is
that you realize that every thing
sings its own multi-layered song –
even silence – and everything is complex,
even it isn’t rocket science.
Listen to My Poem ‘It’s not rocket science’ by Mark The Poet on #SoundCloud
My Poem “Another Insight Into Life”
I often think about the fact
that there are other worlds
out there in the universe
with their own future,
their own present, their own past…
I often wonder, as I marvel at
the human endeavors that take place
to land on another planet,
what stories await to be unearthed
and retold about the who, the what,
and the where of an alien place
that is also our celestial-neighbor…
I often wonder about our connections
to the other planets of our solar system,
and why the myriad planets, moons,
comets, and asteroids call out to us
to visit them and understand them…
I often wonder whether it is the universal
human compulsion to explore the unknown
and learn as much as we can about what
we don’t understand that compels us
to keep staring up at the night-sky
and wanting to reach out and touch
and put our footprints into the soil
of a world unlike our own…
throughout my life I have often dreamed
about escaping the gravity that holds me
to this spinning sphere of rock,
water, life, and hope –
but even if I never get the chance to do so
in my life-time I remain optimistic
that within the life-span of the next generation
children will know more about the universe
than any era of human history ever has before…
I often share the belief that we yearn
to return to the stars, because that is where
all life came from long ago –
but the best thing about wondering
what lies elsewhere in the universe,
and about where all life came from,
is that, at this point, nobody knows
the answers to the fundamental questions
of existence, and in my opinion
we as a species, and as a planet,
have only just begun to scratch the surface
in our discovery of an insight
into what gives the light of existence
its spark of life.
My Poem ‘Intro’
An entrance, an introduction,
an opening, a beginning…
where to begin is seldom an option,
what to do when you start something
is like being a knight
standing nose-to-nose
with a fire-breathing dragon…
most of the time
we enter something
in the middle of a story –
we mostly never come into something
at the very beginning,
nor at the absolute end –
however, we are always equipped
with all that we need
when we first enter into the world,
and it is only as time goes by
do we learn and pick up
the implements and the defenses
that we require to save us
from getting struck down
or devastatingly hurt.
Everybody’s life is an epic adventure.
In times gone by,
heroes heard the calling
that they had been waiting for all their lives
as if it were as distinctive and alluring
as that of the call of a song-bird.
Whether a cowboy or an outlaw
in the old-west of America,
or an astronaut on the cusp
of the final frontier,
the boundless unknown of a wild open space
holds the potential
of fulfilling a life and a dream come true
that constantly brings a smile to the face
of those who live for the spark
that dwells where the land leaves no trace.
Most people are first exposed
to other worlds through stories;
most people first feel
the touch of the divine
when the veil of heaven
falls right in front of them;
most people can only believe
what they can see;
most people are not truly
awake to the world
until they have been fully awoken.
The best of things
begin with an insatiable sound:
a beat, a melody, a voice, a keystroke –
the contact of two separate things
connecting and intertwining;
there is nothing as jaw-dropping
as seeing a lightning-storm happening
in the dark clouds above
that looks so beyond understanding
and like something that only God
could be the reason for,
because it is so breathtaking;
the first things of anything
are always the ingredients
and the building-blocks that will grow
like the snowflakes that settle
and cover a mountain-top with snow.
You may be young,
you may be old,
you may think that you know
all that there is to know –
but, believe me,
everything that has happened up to you
until now was nothing but the intro.
Mark The Poet 