Even though, at times, I may have ventured "Too Close To The Sun", I will always be the "Poet of the Sphere"... even though I have written about "The Wolf in Me", "The Wolf in You", "The Wolf in Us" and "Vega - The Vampire King", I will always emanate "The Sound of Mark"... even though I have been "Playing God", I will always be "The Eternal Boy"... I will always be "The Dreamer and The Dream"... I will always love "Truly Madly Deeply"... I will always be "The Rambler"... I will always be the "Poet of the Multiverse"... I will always be "The Comeback Kid"; because, even though I have stories within me that I believe are just waiting to be told, poetry is my life's blood... poetry is my voice... poetry is my epic flood... poetry is my universe within which I do not have a choice - because poetry is my destiny, it always has been and it always will be... poetry has brought me gifts of connection... poetry has always been within me... there isn't a day that goes by when I do not open my eyes and see the light of inspiration... there isn't a day that goes by when I do not listen and hear the rhythm of life's music in unison with my multi-layered imagination... even when things seemed to be coming to the end of their calling, I always believed that whenever the time arose when I might need to be renewed, the one within would climb, like a "Rising Star", and there would no longer be any limits - because, like a shooting star in the night sky, there would be no stopping the return of the poet.
writer
My Poem “Writer’s High”
That spark! That flash! That light from the dark... That stream of inspiration and energy that flows so fast... That moment of conception... That shockwave and expansion of the internal explosion... That rush to capture that which you know is significant... That immediate change that runs rampant like a fire and effects everything like a solar flare from the Sun... That pulse-racing, breathtaking, eye-opening idea that comes to an artist seemingly from out of nowhere, like a bolt from out of the blue, can feel like a miracle from heaven or from a higher dimension - because the colours that it paints the world with can seem too incredible to be real... when an artist who uses words to create their art feels themselves being pulled along by an idea's wave and riptide they can experience an almost inconceivable soul-fulfilling ascension that might be described as a writer's high.
My Poem “Write What You Like”
For me writing is my passion... For me writing is my release... For me writing is my fashion... For me writing is my peace... For me writing is my voice.... For me writing is my road... For me writing is a necessity and not a choice... For me writing is how I can reach out and remind others that nobody is ever alone... For me writing is a dream made real... For me writing is what has given me gifts of experience of perspective that I might never have known otherwise... For me writing is the first thing that I feel like doing whenever I want to take a serene walk through an Elysium-like countryside field, and whenever I want to remember who I am, or whenever I feel like I need to heal... For me writing is to a writer what singing is to a singer - they have to do what they feel they must; and just as a singer must love what they sing, in my opinion, no matter what words a wordsmith conjures from their imagination, a writer should like what they write - especially if writing is what a writer truly loves.
My Poem “Day of the Poet”
I believe that every day of my life has prepared me for who I am, who I have always been, and who I will always be... I believe that every day of my life - from the moment I wake up in the early hours of the morning, to the moment I fall asleep at night, to the moment I set sail upon the waves of the sea of my dreams - I am seeing, hearing, thinking, imagining, interpreting the poetry all around me that will always continue to invigorate me and inspire me... I believe that every day when a word, a verse, a story, or a new discovery plants it's seed within my mind it has been put there so that I can see it become something even more profound by giving it my own spark of magic... I believe that every day when I reflect inwards and outwards I draw in and I echo from myself something that was always meant to be shared with those who need to hear my message all around the world - from Atlanta to Zurich... I believe that every day when I am writing something that is in every way a part of me, as well as inspired by who I have met, what I have done, where I have been, and when I have been struck by inspiration, was always preordained - which is the reason that I never ask: why? I believe that every day when my heart was broken, I believe that every day when I was blessed to see the sunrise, I believe that every day when I had to keep my thoughts unspoken, I believe that every day when I told someone I loved them as I looked deep into their eyes - every moment, of every hour, of every day has always been when it was my time for me to be me and to shine my poetic light, because being a poet and a writer is the daily destiny of my life.
A Poem A Day #359: The Prolific
Writing: do what works for you
My Poem “Open to interpretation”
When a writer writes something, that is just the beginning... after a writer shares what they have written and takes it beyond the limits of their own eyes only, that is when things truly get exciting... when a writer first gets an idea they never truly know what it will ultimately come to be... when a writer uses their gift and naturally infuses a part of themselves into whatever they have written or are writing they always leave something that they may not have planned for their readers to read. When a writer let's there words go they can have no idea by whom, when, nor where their art will be enjoyed - and there is no knowing why, nor how, their words will touch a reader and inspire their dreams as they lie asleep in bed... when a writer first puts pen to paper, or finger to key, they must resist any and every thought that might occur to them in which they might attempt to cross out, erase, or delete something of them that they felt had to be said. When a writer creates something of their own heart, mind, soul, and imagination there is always an exchange of energy that takes place that can cross time and distance instantly... even if the first intention of a writer after a while becomes like that of a whisper, the first spark of inspiration that brought an idea to life will always be there to be felt, read, heard, seen, and like the world of a dream open to interpretation.
Poet of the Sphere/Mark The Poet: one and the same

"Hi everyone, I'm Mark Hastings... I'm afraid I'm not someone who plays an instrument or sings; however what I am, what I love and what I one day hope to be is a poet and a dreamer who can move the world with my poetry..." - "The Poet" by Mark Hastings, From my book 'Poet of the Sphere', First published in 2012 This verse of poetry from my poem "The Poet", which is also the description on the back of my first poetry collection 'Poet of the Sphere', describes me when I first started writing poetry, and who I still am and who I still want to be to this day. Granted I may have made some missteps along the way, I may have made some mistakes; but I still hope that I have been a source of hope and inspiration for others and that I will continue to be. I have published 12 books over the course of the last 10 years - filled with poetry, stories, inspiration, characters, recollections, tales of fantasy mixed with personal experiences - but no matter what I have written everything has within it not just me but those whom I have met throughout my life and ingrained more so than could ever be imagined. I have always loved sharing experiences with others and occasionally capturing moments of time with others so that others can read and relive those experiences through the lens of my poetic eye. Alot of the poems that I have written have been read by many people, but some have never been read by anyone other than who they were written and intended for - but no matter who reads, or listens to my poem for that matter, I hope that I have left my mark upon the heart of those who have felt something from the touch of my words upon their soul. All 12 of my books are available to buy on Amazon and a great many of my poems new and old can be read @markthepoet and some can even be heard on Spotify being recited by me on "Mark The Poet - The Podcast" - which is essentially a poetic trip down memory lane in which I recite a poem from one of my books every day. Happy reading and happy listening! -Mark 😊