Many years ago now I adopted a word -
a word that would come to define me,
a word that would come to inspire me,
a word that would come to mean more
to me
than any other word -
because as soon as I saw that word
I knew who and what I was,
because I knew that that word
was me and had always been me...
over the years I have used many words
to describe what I have seen, what I have felt,
what I believe, what people have meant
and continue to mean to me -
but there will only ever be one word
that says more than I ever could
about what it means to be someone like me:
a dreamer, a storyteller, a writer -
but not like any other,
because the word that I found
and which found me
I have come to realize has a power of its own
that can open doorways to places,
that can bring back memories of the past,
as well as give the gift of a vision
of as-yet unrealised brand new worlds...
many people have read what I have written,
and when I am writing from the heart
then what I write in every way is all me
and my life, as told through my poetry...
many languages are spoken,
many languages are there to be read,
many people are constantly looking
for a purpose to their life
and for the reason why they are alive -
and from the moment that I started down
my path through life and I started to
see beauty in every facet of the world,
I knew that when I chose the word "Poet"
I had adopted a word that was in every way
who I was and who I would always be.
No matter what I do,
no matter who I meet,
I jump into everything
with all my heart
and with both feet...
I have always believed that sometimes
you need to either go all in, or go home -
because life needs to be lived
not waited for like a phone call...
no matter what has happened,
no matter what I have done,
I have lived a life of laughter and fun,
with some people who might
never again look my way
and may even choose to cross
a busy street just so they don't run into me...
I have walked, I have ran,
I have flown, and I have fallen -
but no matter what life has thrown at me,
and no matter what people have put me through,
if my time on Earth were to end tonight
then I could honestly say that I have had a ball...
no matter the smiles, no matter the tears,
no matter the denials, no matter the fears -
I hope people who have danced with me
will remember forever where and when
we had our moments to shine in our own spotlight,
and remember that there were times
when everything felt like a dream
because our shared moments
were better than we could have imagined...
everybody who gives something of themselves
knows that they will never recieve
in return anything close to the energy
and the love that they once gave to someone else -
but sometimes in life you have to gamble,
you have to show that you do not flinch,
and you have to show the hand
of cards that you have been dealt
and go all in.
People queued for miles,
people queued for hours -
almost for a entire day -
just so that they could make their way
to Westminster Hall in London
to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II
as she lay-in-state in her coffin
by bowing their heads and saying
a solemn goodbye to the only
Queen of England that generations
of people have grown up with
and who people young and old
respected, loved, cherished, and will miss
more than anyone can ever know.
People queued through the darkness of the night...
people queued through the bright sunshine of the day...
people queued along with thousands of others -
including world leaders and celebrities -
because they wanted the opportunity
to be in the presence of the body of The Queen
and so that they could give this extraordinary woman
the gift of their time...
people queued, people waited -
which the British public are famous
for doing better than anyone, it has be stated -
and after they finally got to see
the flag draped casket of The Queen,
some people were genuinely moved to tears
because the experience overcame them
and moved them in such a powerful and unexpected way.
People queued to be a part of history...
people queued to share this momentous
time in the history of the British Royal family,
the history of the United Kingdom,
and the history of the world itself,
with ordinary members of the public
who felt a genuine connection
and an affection for The Queen
the like of which no other Monarch -
past, present, or future -
will ever know, will ever feel, nor will ever see...
people chose to use their own two feet -
as their path took them alongside
the River Thames and the landmarks that can be seen -
to give something back to the woman
whose face still graces British stamps,
British bank notes, as well as photographic
and physical accurate artistic representations
of this once in a lifetime icon
who will never be forgotten;
and if those people from all around the world
who made the choice to travel to London
and gather together in rememberance and in solidarity
with the members of the Royal Family
and the new King of England, King Charles III,
were asked would they do what they did again,
I believe almost all of them would say and agree
that they believed that by standing in line
with thousands of other people
they were doing something important,
impactful, and incredible
by queuing for The Queen.
It's sometimes hard to know what to say,
it's sometimes hard to know what to do,
it's sometimes hard to know what someone
is personally going through
after they lose someone that they spent time with,
someone who they cared about,
someone who they loved,
and someone who they could never foresee
living in a world without;
but that is the anguish and that is the reality
of life and death that we all must
sometimes grapple with -
which can make us all feel mentally lost,
physically sick, and emotionally devastated...
it's sometimes hard to put into words
what someone meant to you,
because usually there are too many
memories and too many experiences to look back on
and recount in every detail
of what happened, when, why,
and how a particular person made us feel...
it's sometimes hard to know
if you have done enough for someone in need -
family members, friends, even strangers
who you can see are struggling with
a deep and excruciating pain;
but if you truly want to do something
for someone, then be there for them -
even if by doing so you are simply
on the other end of a phone,
grieving with them, giving them your time,
as well as the gift of your condolences
that are genuine, meaningful, and meant to help -
like the simple act of kindness
of remembering someone special
by lighting a candle.
He had been hurt...
He had been cursed...
He had learned the hard way
that some things are not meant to last -
but people who truly knew Him
always believed and expected
that He would one day make a comeback...
He had felt turned inside-out...
He had felt used and worn-out...
He had been attacked on every side,
He had been thought to have been defeated,
He had been left wounded
and scarred from His experiences -
but the people who had thought Him
easily destroyed always got a shock
when He rose again like the sun
and found a way to close the distances...
some people would rather discount fate
and mistakenly believe that life is all a series of coincidences,
but His interactions had taught Him otherwise -
which is why He always trusted His senses...
He had been deceived...
He had been non-believed...
He had been thrown to the side
like a piece of litter from a car window -
but what some people do not know
or realise
is that He never forgets and He always remembers
every thing and every face
that He has been shown...
He has spoken; He has listened...
He has been broken;
He has been awakened
to the good and the bad
of what others and He himself did...
He has felt burned -
physically, as well as in effigy;
but, do you know what?
He does not regret the fact that He has lived...
He is many things -
but one thing that He likes about himself,
and what some people have said
that they admire about Him,
is that no matter what happens
He will always be The Comeback Kid.
markthepoet.me 