Lauren M. Hancock Poetry and Prose

Tag: life

  • Poem: Gasp – 26/10/20

    Poem: Gasp – 26/10/20

    I gasp.
    It wasn’t expected,
    to see this sight today.
    But then, I smile,
    because in a way,
    I have been quietly asked to let go of personal dismay.

    I’ve set my sights on improvement,
    within my life I’m going to change,
    and I’ve already made self-alterations,
    I can view them on the page.

    As they’re read quietly, in my own style,
    I acknowledge what I’ve already done for myself,
    forming new habits takes a while.
    Learning to look after myself,
    my mind, my body,
    I can amplify what they are needing,
    for what they are calling.

    For I try to now listen to them,
    and my spirit,
    to these three, I’ve forged a commitment,
    to care for myself mentally, holistically,
    to do so means in a manner positively
    and wholeheartedly.

    No room for doubt or fear,
    or wondering if there’s enough strength in me to steer,
    I will attend to my life’s direction,
    I will be illuminated in the sunshine,
    and heal and succeed, re-connection,
    heal, mend, and attend,
    I’ve already performed the interventions.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Lantern – 04/10/20

    Poem: Lantern – 04/10/20

    I try to light the way for myself,
    only me at the present,
    for myself I can only take responsibility,
    but maybe in the future
    I’ll brighten the paths of others,
    allowing them to feel illumination from
    my positive attitude and candour.

    I smile and I dance into my path
    of least resistance,
    of least duress,
    the lantern which dangles from my wrist
    is warming,
    and comforting,
    no less.

    It shines so brightly it sears my eyes,
    I have to be careful not to glance at it for too long,
    it provides me ample light to distinguish the darkness
    from the path ahead,
    and promising me relief at last.

    There is pride in following a path of truth,
    there is great merit in exploring one’s past
    as well as their humble heart and mind,
    within their corporal home,
    swimming spirituality imbues,

    and there is magic in progressing forward
    and in the knowing,
    that I will continue to create,
    to make,
    to attain,
    to not have to again hide myself from the world,
    having to refrain.

    Refraining from shining is old news,
    now is the time to explore the inner strength,
    fortitude,
    strident being that I am.

    I tried to light the way for myself,
    but now I feel strong enough to take on the
    responsibility of assisting and guiding others,
    perhaps I can be their mentor,
    perhaps they can in turn mentor me,
    and in a circle of knowledge we will dance
    and feel joyous,
    so happy,
    inextricably.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Suggestions – 30/09/20

    Poem: Suggestions – 30/09/20

    I can attempt to suggest,
    not forcefully,
    but subtly,
    allowing another to view
    from a different perspective.

    To take into account
    other angles of a problem
    and what can be
    done to cure what is
    ailing them.

    If not, altered alleviation
    can be key
    to disallowing inner frustrations,
    potential travesty,
    but only if the other
    is open –
    I only wish to promote
    self-healing.

    Unlocking those doors,
    breaking down those walls,
    allowing assistance in,
    I’m more than willing to listen,
    but hark,
    let me explain another position,
    there’s more than one way
    to describe Life’s unwanted conditions.

    I can extend my care,
    I wish to be supportive
    and understand
    the stressors,
    have them heard,
    felt, shared,

    but in the end
    I hope we can find
    a positive direction,
    not end up with us
    travelling in an argumentative direction.

    It’s important,
    I hope it’s known,
    that I do want,
    wish to be here
    and attend,

    but together let’s
    work at solving
    the problem
    with positivity,
    we can make a change of that
    poorly dealt hand.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Neither High Nor Low – 27/09/20

    Poem: Neither High Nor Low – 27/09/20

    Plateaued.
    Neither high nor low this time.
    Simply existing as I lie here,
    my mind blank,
    strangely it is not a feeling that perturbs
    or is out of place.

    It’s just that the noise has stopped,
    the odd chatter that weaved in and out,
    through my mind as though as a slithering snake
    has calmed itself
    and I am here,
    at one,
    with the quietness,
    the peace,
    the solitude.

    Even intruding noise pales in comparison
    to the stillness,
    I seem so far away from it,
    it’s as though there’s no link from my auditory
    path to it.

    Like I have wiped away that connection,
    I am dumbfounded in mind and soul,
    and it’s not something that needs deflecting from,
    for I am welcoming these sensations
    which lack in their own.

    Neither high nor low is my mood.
    I am not raging, I am not frustrated,
    I am not elated.
    No, no.

    I am presently a blank canvas,
    waiting for an artist like myself
    to splatter me with my own colours,
    my own schema,
    my own shades from my palette,
    and why, there are many,
    wouldn’t you know it?

    Though, there’s no need for any bright tones,
    there is beauty in the unfinished,
    the white rectangle I am present as
    is surprisingly perfect,
    a wanted moment,
    a feast for the eyes,
    for if I imagine my own scene,
    my own painting,
    I can alter myself,
    in a way of doing so,
    everything,
    I appreciate the freedom
    of the mental creation I can see and breathe.

    Neither high nor low
    is how I am,
    not rushing toward the finishing line,
    neither despairing because
    I have not reached it in time.

    I will create if I feel like it,
    but for now,
    a sudden newfound static in my head is
    utterly welcoming.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash

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  • Prose: Chirping Crickets – 26/09/20

    Prose: Chirping Crickets – 26/09/20

    Male crickets chirp, signalling their romantic calamity. They know what they are seeking, whom they are aiming to have come into their world. But crickets; crickets, crickets, don’t we downplay their communication, assigning a meaning of humorous silence following a moment intended to be poignant, profound, or carry some other feeling?

    I used to love crickets as a child. I would hunt them for hours on end, following the sounds until hopefully, in the brush, I would pounce with jar in hand and happen upon one, to keep all of my own. I fancied having a cricket as a pet would be a grand affair. Sadly, I only ever succeeded at once catching one. They were often far too perceptive at hearing my lumbering human body’s approach and would suddenly hush with their song, thereby quashing my ability to reign victorious as a Cricket-Owning Queen.

    It makes me wonder, who else decides to silence themselves in order to avoid any unwanted behaviour or conflict? Who backs down, seemingly cowardly initially, but inherently wise in the end? For the world, with its youth and ignorance, with its body of fiery enemies and desires and wants and needs, can be dangerous for any little crickets to exist in, this is truth from my mouth which begs to be heard, all well as vowels formed to be seen.

    I used to want to capture bees as well. They were so beautiful and busy and perfect, that I wanted my own, even if for an hour, then I would return it to the safety of its pollen-filled world. Capturing a busy, occupied bee proved far easier than locating and capturing a garden cricket. Still, sadness then washed over me as I realised what I was doing, what had I done? I had captured something so wonderful which was meant to remain free in its own way. With a smile and a few comforting words, I gently released my unintentional prey, my beautiful companion if only for a few minutes of that day.

    And I hear them calling me again, I hear the buzzing of their fervent collections, I hear the shrill calling of the dances I took with crickets who surely smiled in wonder at my persistence, and I smile to myself at my childhood curiosity, and at knowing that nothing that calm, serene Nature created should be altered, should be changed, should be taken away from the comfort of their own damn home – how would I like it if I were plucked from the comforts of my very own abode?

    But crickets chirping in my memory tell me there’s no finer point to be made, nor a softer point to be emphasised, just to live life in harmony with the world, and we will get along perfectly fine.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Krzysztof Niewolny on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Better – 25/09/20

    Poem: Better – 25/09/20

    The rain pitter-patters against the window
    reminding me of the melancholy I used to feel,
    but now I am developing myself,
    I am fusing myself together,
    redetermining self-worth.

    I need not chase the opinions high nor low
    of yonder words to come,
    need not seek the approval of critical strangers,
    or unkind people who I’m not close with,
    why, shouldn’t they matter little to none?

    I seek your approval, because I care for your thoughts,
    I seek the justice of your moments with me
    because I am true with you,
    together we become,
    but I shan’t allow my life to hinge
    on your thoughts of me anymore,
    because I am stronger,
    I believe in myself,
    more and more and more.

    It’s taken a while to reach this stage,
    I’m merely dipping my big toe in the water,
    who knows what there is to come,
    who knows what’s happily living under,
    what I will experience,
    who will I meet,
    on my journey,
    this life path indeed.

    I sit on the riverbank and wonder,
    why was I so needy,
    why was I so temperamental,
    why was I so melancholy,
    why was I so angry?

    Needing others’ affirmation, day in and day out,
    it was sickening,
    I look back on those years,
    no wonder I was not blooming.

    But now, my heart is open,
    at least its slowly opening up the shutters,
    letting in the smell of that beautiful rain
    pelting down,
    and I know,
    I know,
    that things will be better from now on,
    trust me,
    I tell myself.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Mediating My Life – 20/09/20

    Poem: Mediating My Life – 20/09/20

    Rosemary oil swiped either side of the doorway,
    and below the walkway, where I will enter into my abode.
    Rosemary oil, so glorious is the scent,
    wiped below the lip of my desk,
    to harness, relax, caress.

    I am embracing the softer side of life,
    scent,
    meditation,
    heeding surfacing dreams,
    taking care of my body,
    operating holistically.

    After being so hard in my thoughts,
    so obstinate in being unchangeable and closed-minded
    to things I was unfamiliar with,
    I am finally open to the healing permitted in this world,
    different types of blessings.

    It may seem like a small step to others,
    nothing really worth mentioning,
    but for me,
    it’s like addressing an inner power that allows me
    to finally embrace what I’ve been missing.

    And the amazing thing is,
    I can already feel the differences,
    the self-improvements,
    the happier state of mind,
    the positivity beginning to trickle then flow.

    No hardened soul to be envisaged anymore,
    there is no need to fight to struggle against
    my negative capabilities,
    I will relish the healing,
    I will cherish the process,
    and I will fall in love with the self-knowledge I am gleaning,
    the knowing.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

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  • Prose: Seeking Happiness – 20/09/20

    Prose: Seeking Happiness – 20/09/20

    The differences between us could be enormous. Life experiences, personal beliefs, ways of going about things. I guess the one thing we mostly have in common is a desire to be happy. Happiness can manifest itself in many ways from many things, but I’m not interested in seeking it through the materialistic. I’m interested in the personal and interpersonal. We can exist alone but who would we be without companionship, friendships, emotional ties, relatability?

    Over the years, my friendship circle has diminished somewhat, for whatever reasons disclosed or undisclosed, but I cherish those who have remained in my life. Human connection is very much required, especially for me. I know some people would happily exist without contact from others, but I feel they might be few and far in between, perhaps some already experiencing unhappiness and wanting to shy away.

    I know in myself the differences between us really don’t and shouldn’t count. We each have our own method of striving for happiness, but as long as the means isn’t immoral, cruel, or unkind, I encourage the exploration of your potential paths. Because, sometimes even we don’t know what it is that will make us happy; it could be a misleading impulse within our mind or heart, a shrieking volume instructing us to take this or that road, and then in the end, it was the wrong message and path all along.

    But I encourage you to trust both your heart and mind, and if the message is a mistake, it’s an opportunity to learn about what is not right for you. Forget about our differences, and start embracing the similarities. Broadly speaking, we all want to be happy. Let’s make this happen.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Sam Manns on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Beautiful Tragedy – 18/09/20

    Poem: Beautiful Tragedy – 18/09/20

    Our love was a beautiful tragedy,
    we flourished from the taste
    of its existence,
    the way we reacted and acted was
    like that of a giggling pair of youths.

    But we lacked maturity,
    good times could not only be the
    ones had,
    falling into his eyes,
    his hurt,
    what did it truly mean?

    Listening to and sharing tales,
    the mutual opening up of
    old wounds,
    and while information was privileged,
    I sometimes felt ill-equipped
    to properly advise or comment.

    The tragedy behind our
    wall of defensiveness against the world,
    our fortress of affection
    which was mean to enclose,
    protect,
    preserve our magic,
    only to be seen, admired, and envied
    at certain times by others
    when we decided to be on display,

    the tragedy was that our perfect little bubble
    was our downfall,
    and a lacking of self-understanding
    on part of one or both –
    perhaps specifically one,
    perhaps it was me.

    The absence of self-awareness,
    a reasoning and knowledge
    of what was required,
    what was necessary for the
    growth of the heart
    could cause a cacophony,
    reverberations to be felt and heard
    for many an eve.

    Now truly seems the time to heal,
    I must attempt this;
    we must try our best to repair,
    cannot have one or the other disappear,
    a desire rise to vanish into thin air.

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo by Morgan Sessions on Unsplash

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  • Poem: Speaking of Kindness… 14/09/20

    Poem: Speaking of Kindness… 14/09/20

    I can speak of kindness,
    of the heart,
    of warmth,
    of the joy of before, despite now,

    I can speak of closeness,
    of love,
    of holding hands while we’re all in rows,

    I can speak of courageousness,
    I can speak of strength,
    I can speak of resilience,

    I can speak of the potency of our inner charisma,
    of our undying self-knowledge.

    I understand that current times are heartbreaking,
    they are tough,
    they are causing pain and suffering to many,
    ongoing,

    and while I acknowledge this,
    I will encourage us to band together and become
    stronger than ever,

    to determine what we can do for one another,
    to give credence and hope
    to each other.

    To be able to place a hand upon another’s shoulder and say,
    “I understand what you’re going through,
    even though I may not have experienced it this day”

    the empathy will shine through like a light unto a
    previously-darkened tunnel,

    and if the recipient does not want the light,
    there is no problem,
    perhaps they’ll welcome it tomorrow.

    For we have become a little shy and inward
    during these times,
    afraid of reaching out to humankind,

    insular, toward ourselves,
    if we open up our hearts,
    we’ll feel the warmth of someone else.

    To share in what you have,
    to delight in sharing a few words with a passing stranger,
    to see the smile in one’s eyes above a mask as they pass,
    why, that is beauty in and of itself.

    The connection between human beings is more than ever
    important to people such as you and I,
    and we’ll feel the pain and suffering,
    ease, ease, ease,

    connections are ever so important,
    we must keep these linked,
    inextricably,

    because if we don’t have hands to hold,
    no one to lean upon each other,
    then who will we have if we start failing
    at harnessing our inner power?

    © 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
    Photo credit: United Nations Covid-19 Response on Unsplash

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