Month: June 2020

https://soundcloud.com/user-894707136/the-cacophony-cease-spoken-word-poetryimprovisation-by-lauren-m-hancock

"The Cacophony Cease!"

I feel the reverberation
through my fingertips,
through my bones,
into my marrow,
 
a source of quiet vitality in which I encase
certain memories,
certain experiences,
so potent and noxious
they should only be for me.
 
I won’t allow others to see or feel them,
to experience the anguish,
the pain,
the ecstasy,
that would prove far too much, you see.
 
Besides, it would be untoward.
it would be unwise,
to share everything with everyone
because there are moments
in our lives which we must keep private,
we must remain quiet,
these need to remain secretive, you see?
 
And suddenly here appears a character,
she’s beautiful,
dressed in lace and organza,
her dress flowing,
tulle behind her,
 
as she twirls and twirls and twirls,
like the fallen angel that she was,

she is,
she was,
she is,
she WAS!

She is?
 
Which one is it?
It shouldn’t really matter.
 
She’s on show and she knows
that she needs to put on her bravest face
that will ever be worn,
because this dress, this petticoat, this tulle
is just the theatrical,
she’s hiding something
but she twirls and twirls just as she knows how.
 
The cacophony is growing louder in my head,
ordering me to be quiet,
to not dare reveal as much;
not all needs to be shared.
 
Because attention is not always as important
as retaining as a sense of dignity,
the reputation of oneself,
 
and while dragging one’s experiences up and out,
back to life, can be contentious,
it’s not something which should be realised,
it may not leave the best impression.
 
It’s important to understand that where one has been
is not where one is,
and is not where one is going,
 
the future is where we should be flowing.
 
And that’s what I need to understand, always,
to look to the future,
to not always look behind to the past,
for sitting comfortably in the present and
aiming toward the future
is what I want,
is where I want to be.
 
These violent noises:
will the cacophony cease?

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock (Recording: Words, Music and Artwork)
https://soundcloud.com/user-894707136/the-cacophony-cease-spoken-word-poetryimprovisation-by-lauren-m-hancock

My Process of Experimenting with Improvisational Poetry

When it comes to recording my poetry, usually I start with the words first and then record with or without a backing track. But I thought to myself last night, “Why don’t I start with a backing track and then just say whatever I want, on the spot and see what comes out?”

It really was an interesting process. I came up with many different concepts to accompany the chaotic piano key bashing I had recorded many years prior during the height of a bipolar relapse. 

In these improvisations, I spoke of my condition, I spoke of interrupted dreams and nightmares, I spoke of the sense of self, I spoke of creation. Many things. The problem was, there were parts of the recordings I liked, but others which I did not, such as when I would fumble, or when my ideas didn’t flow nicely, or were rather unimaginative. Within the errors though, were some great ideas I could have reused, but I just kept recording on and on without noting down the phrasings which I did feel were successful.

As you might have noticed, as of late, I have been exploring my life by taking steps backward and assessing what has been, what should not have been, and now, what is, and what could be. Letting my words flow through my consciousness like a river or stream allowed me to explore what's on my mind, and what I deem as important at this current time for my work. 

I finally tentatively settled upon one recording and put it up last night just as a draft to review it in the morning. I felt it was good, but not quite strong enough, so I set about writing out the script of my words, then adding and editing and subtracting. There was not much rewording. 

Thus, here is the result of my improvisation efforts from last night and this morning. Please have a listen to “The Cacophony Cease!” I hope you enjoy it.

I enjoyed the creative process myself. 

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