Lauren M. Hancock Poetry and Prose

Tag: writing

  • Poem: First and Foremost – Spoken Word and Text – 25/06/20

    Poem: First and Foremost – Spoken Word and Text – 25/06/20

    https://soundcloud.com/user-894707136/first-and-foremost-spoken-word-poetry-1 
    Jovial and content,
happy, playful, sweet,
a way of living has evolved
from haphazard,
crazed dreams.
 
Where I tumbled
from one scene
to another,
trying to find where I belonged,
 
acceptance, love,
were what I was seeking,
the line thrown to reach them
rigid and taut.
 
No more slapdash or faux pas moments,
lacking of personal respect or dignity,
when trying to be cool,
outgoing,
effervescently fun,
 
doesn’t the truth sometimes prove itself
so sad, that tale to read?
The invisible ink in my journal runs,
of catharsis, I’ve no longer
any need.
 
The party girl,
while wild and popular,
only appeals
in that moment,
out of context,
her vivaciousness
can overwhelm,
 
I’d rather sit quietly,
penning a soliloquy,
read a beautiful sonnet,
or appreciate a heartfelt song.

Darker tales there are to tell,
crawling amongst
soot, filth,
and grime,
 
an underlining of
their facts,
they are acknowledged,
here recognised,
if I were more civilised,
I’d toast them away
with you
with hearty glasses of rich, health-coloured wine.
 
No real compatibility determined,
so many met,
yet my personality,
heart, looks, or mind,
did not seem to fit,
 
finally, I realised
I needed to be
happy, accepting,
and loving to myself,
first and foremost,
only me.
 
With true acceptance
came an
overwhelming sense
of realisation,
 
an understanding
of how much I’d
lost myself in
the naivety,  
the flighty dreaming
of youth,
 
the one true love
I first needed was myself,
and only then
could l reach out for
the hand
of another,
this is truth,
 
to have,
to hold,
to care,
to acknowledge as a
warming, doting other,
someone who will always be there.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved. 
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

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  • Poem: Chirpy Little Bubbles – Text and Audio – 25/06/20

    Poem: Chirpy Little Bubbles – Text and Audio – 25/06/20

    Communication cruelly cut,
aren’t I a sight to see?
A trembling, blubbering,
emotional mess,
the stress is
clearly affecting me.
 
Why did you
withdraw your words,
love?

Was there 
something untoward
that I said?
 
Will you and I be apart forever?
My unintentional
offense meaning
I’ve made my bed?
 
Oh, darling,
how I will
miss you,
those cheeky,
clever thoughts
you’ve shared,
 
while I am here,
absolutely annihilated,
decimated by you,
my formerly
treasured sound,
my prize.
 
Because what I
long for most,
more than anything
in this world,

is to
capture bubbles
encasing your words,
your voice,
in shimmering iridescence,
 
and when I will
pop, pop, pop,
these little bubbles,
your charming, warming
voice will be
brought forth
only to me.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved. 
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

***Author's Note*** 
I'm sure you all know the feeling when you think you must have said something wrong because the other person stops replying. This poem can be read in either a humorous, lighthearted manner, or in a more serious tone.
    https://soundcloud.com/user-894707136/chirpy-little-bubbles-spoken-word-poem

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  • Poem: Bring Forth the Sun; Negativity is Done – 25/06/20

    Poem: Bring Forth the Sun; Negativity is Done – 25/06/20

    Cast aside this negativity,
as though with a
magic wand!
Brand new
circumstances,
the air is clear
to breathe.
 
No more choking
on carbon,
soot impeding
our ability
to exist,
 
the dark clouds
have cleared,
this magic stick
has many
mighty pleased.
 
Why the need
for such sombre
tirades,
bitter self-reflection
on and on?
 
Now, we’re seeing
the sunshine
peeking through
curious, fluffy clouds
 
which beckon us,
which beckon me,
allow the positivity
to be warming,
felt,
and to be seen.
 
Like an embrace from
a dear, lost friend,
feel the heart within
my words,
as I wish you
all the best,
 
the clouds smile,
shift and wink.
 
Negativity has
no place in
the mornings
or evenings,
 
unless there’s
a specific
point to be
made, heard,
or seen.

Dreary days have gone,
dissipated 
into nothingness,

may we be ever-thankful
the mindset has changed, 
I know for this
I feel utterly blessed. 

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved. 
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

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  • Poem: Stood Up – 24/06/20

    Poem: Stood Up – 24/06/20

    I sit in the bar quietly
where I am docile,
where I often softly wept
nomadic tears of loneliness,

I long to be held,
to feel loved and alive,
not empty, bereft, and alone.
 
Desperately, I sought matches out,
for a connection that was perfect,
meant for them and I alone,
an exhilarating circumstance,
where two pairs of eyes would lock,
they'd meet,
and both our hearts would begin to fervently pound.
 
But, in this bar,
I have been expecting,
I have been awaiting your arrival,

your welcomed beeps became a cessation,
fifteen minutes after you were
meant to sidle in with a smile.
 
You promised you’d be here,
you’d been waiting so long
to meet me,

our discourse has been
passionate and intellectual,
potent and electric,

lightning stimulated my heart
each time I heard that tone,
the sound to reassure me
your interest was still there

whether by the shining sunlight
or the calming moon
upon which I would 
dream and stare.
 
I felt you may have been made for me,
at least that’s what I hoped for,
suspected,
but now you’ve disappeared off
the radar,
I text my friends -
one cruelly tells me
your absence is expected.
 
I feel lost,
I feel used,
I feel stupid,
I feel dumb,

if only you hadn’t gotten my hopes up,
these tears wouldn’t have appeared,
why did you run?
Which actions of mine were so untoward,
what about me is inherently wrong?

Like you made yourself into a magic trick,
I, too, will make these stinging tears vanish,
I'll walk away,
feigned pride in my stride,

and if you'll call,
I'll have nothing left to say,
a man like you
has no place in my life.  

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved. 
Image by LOC TRAN from Pixabay

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  • Poem: They Can Try – 23/06/20

    Poem: They Can Try – 23/06/20

    Sometimes in this life,
you’ll come across
people who want to
bring you down.
 
To place you lower
than themselves,
denigrate,
control your voice,
mute your sound.
 
They may be able
to control within
a certain realm,
where cavalry
and royalty
exist where they live,
 
but they cannot
snatch the fight from you,
your opportunity
to present your facts,
to fervently express,
to succinctly speak.
 
Perhaps you’re unaccepted in
their built-up kingdom,
but the fact of the
matter is, 
I’m not sinking,
I don’t need saving.
 
Am I a pesky person
for sharing on and on
at length,
confessions in the form of
poetry,
blunt or flowery,
sometimes thicker than timber,
facts to be saved, learned or relived?
 
Is this a crime or sin?
 
I shan’t allow
the silencing to have
any ill effect,
 
if I’m not welcome,
I’m unwelcome,
an ironic fact this is.
 
I shall carry on,
carry on,
I don’t need to
share when words
are halted by others,
I’ll accept the apparent ruse,
 
and right the wrongs
by continuing to
share as I see fit,
I have my own space
for poetic compositions and tunes.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay 

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  • Poem: The Mirror: In-Between and Afar – 23/06/20

    Poem: The Mirror: In-Between and Afar – 23/06/20

    I drag out my colours,
many hues to
create a show,
 
A popularity contest?
Or a forceful appearance?
How will the audience react?
Perhaps I already know.
 
I begin to create,
build the underpainting,
of the basics
of that face,
 
that wide-eyed,
mildly shocked expression
that shows she’s 
realised something,
or that some fact has her
strangely amazed.
 
Painstakingly – no!
Haphazardly yes!
Do I slap on her colours,
her pigments,

she’s really shaping up
to be a
beautiful one, you see,
tinges of 
hot then cool colours; 
convergence.
 
Borne of chaos,
borne of haste,
her hues shimmer,
her tones scintillate,
 
they really create that
visual realm
where we are
taken on a journey –
her journey –
but where did she travel?

No one knows but me.

Because as I look in the mirror
to reference the
painterly revelation
of my personality,
its travel, 
my development
here upon this Earth,
 
I smile to myself,
for the chaos has settled,
inner beauty and outward wonder
in my life have appeared,
they have shown their faces
at last.
 
Now the shades begin
to seamlessly blend,
coagulation of tints,
colours melt,
warming trends,
 
the appreciation in this
character’s eyes
for her world
is plain for all
to see.
 
Relaxed shoulders and posture,
thankful, ever grateful,
for the ability of self-development
and the ability to finally feel
so free.
 
From a frenzied presence
to a gracious, determined being,
for life’s progression and lessons
I thank my lucky stars,

I adore how life
has allowed much growth so far,
and my eyes,
those painterly eyes,
are staring right back at me,

no longer hollow or aching,
widened or shocked
but knowing,

understanding what’s beyond for
her and myself,
in the future,
in our Afar,

our qualities, our realities,
our emotional experiences,
this is the priceless wealth
of the land of In-between,
melded, we finally are.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Photo: myself 
Soundcloud background music: 
Music: Memory - AShamaluevMusic. 
Music Link: https://youtu.be/5D3JTidH59g

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    https://soundcloud.com/user-894707136/the-mirror-in-between-and-afar-spoken-word-poetry 
    

    




    

    

    

    

    




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    Poem: Releasing A Grudge – 19/06/20
    
			
    Poem: Releasing A Grudge – 19/06/20
    
			
    

    




    It’s petty, I know,
to hold a grudge,
not letting go,
clinging to ill feelings of something,
 
a wrongdoing,
an incorrect action,
a misdeed,
 
but if I won’t let go,
aren’t I the only one suffering?
 
While the perpetrator
walks, scot-free,
happily the other way,
 
nothing dragging down
their conscience,
they have no
sense of guilt,
 
why,
what could I expect
they’d have to say?
 
It’s irrelevant, and silly, and stupid
to expect remorse,
when the only person
who really needs to breathe
and let go,
with a calm exhalation
is myself.
 
Free I shall be
of any niggling irritation,
free of internal annoyance,

when we stop expecting
something from others,
that’s when we regain
our sense of personal power.
 
No more holding onto these grudges,
what’s the use in priming these patterns
within the cage of my mind?
 
Inside I must reach forth,
practice forgiveness,
some actions will lighten the load,
make me feel that much more
brought to life,
the lessons learned of old.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved. 
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
    




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    Poem: Our Many Layers – 03/06/20
    
			
    Poem: Our Many Layers – 03/06/20
    
			
    

    
 

    




    Layered like onions,
our personalities they become,
complex and full of depth,
our nuances, eccentricities conjoin as one.
 
Who says being different is incorrect?
Unique we live
loud and free,
our notions, our understandings,
united personalities.
 
Peel back a layer:
surprise!
What’s waiting within?
Another facet within our souls,
an accumulated sense of quiet knowing.
 
Do we possess the ability
to remove a layer day by day?
To reveal a new part of ourselves,
vulnerable we become?
We may.
 
But it is in the revelation
that helps us share with each other,
getting to know further,
understanding ourselves and others better.
 
And what say you when
you are down to your last skin,
the exhilarating moment,
when we reveal our truest,
our beating hearts within.
 
To be seen,
to be held,
to be accepted for who we are,
 
here we stand,
now light as feathers,
spirit wafting around our beings,
winding between our loose fingers.
 
We have possessed the courage
to share ourselves,
to allow our true beings to be seen,
 
so wonder not about hidden layers,
to remain cloaked,
fear, apprehension,
these emotions are unnecessary.
 
Be brave,
be strong,
and open widely your arms,
 
this is the method,
this is the practice,
the process,
 
shed your layers,
reveal all facets of your personality,
we will surely get along.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
    




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    Poem: A Young Girl’s Whims – 16/05/20
    
			
    Poem: A Young Girl’s Whims – 16/05/20
    
			
    

    




    She walks a path undiscovered,
at least until now,
where peonies and sunflowers and daffodils
all happily and prettily grow in rows.
 
Her eyes take in the sights,
famished of beauty they had become,
but now greedily they feast upon
the beauty right before them.
 
She smiles quietly,
succinctly,
as though she holds a secret all her own,
and time having passed by so secretively,
this is the truth,
she may know something that others don’t.
 
And while she wanders past the flowers,
now onto other garden beds,
the brightness in her face
illuminates the current splendour;
this girl could brighten a room.
 
For she is strong yet soft,
brave yet cautious,
knowing but open,
wise and wondering.
 
She seeks her destiny as much as you,
aware of her surroundings
but open to that which may become,
something that could bring about harm.
 
She continues wandering,
innocently, freely,
touching the blossoms as she goes,
a glance upwards towards a kingdom
where she must return,
her dreams and fancies she throws to the clouds.
 
Oh, Mother, oh Mother, will you love these?
she murmurs,
as she gathers wistful blooms which know
they must give in,
their lives, their self-sacrifice,
beauty and all,
all for a young girl’s whims.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay
    




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    Poem: Progression – 10/05/20
    
			
    Poem: Progression – 10/05/20
    
			
    

    




    A lady of goodness smiles upon me,
wishing me so well,
the nature of her desire for me to flourish
causes warmth to flush my body,
to flow through my being,
will I succeed?
Only time will be able to tell.
 
It is as though I have been granted a reprieve,
a chance to make of this time something more,
my chance to rise,
to change myself,
something I must treasure,
I must take hold of,
and allow my growth to be fostered by
my heart, my heart, my heart,
this is something I know in myself,
a journey I understand well.  
 
And no matter if the tides will turn,
if I lose control temporarily,
I shan’t allow myself to skip,
to miss a beat,
 
because health will be nurtured
and my safety restored,
all placed at ease,
any stressors,
any sufferings,
I will work through my condition,
with the help of others,
the ones who care for and love me.
 
Sometimes we need to reach out a hand,
sometimes we’ll need to grasp onto help,
but when it comes to the time
when we can do it ourselves,
me, myself, alone,
this is when the lady will return,
smiling and cheering me on.

© 2020 Lauren M. Hancock. All rights reserved.
Image by Лариса Мозговая from Pixabay
    




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