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Grounded- A Spoken Word Poem
Written by Rochelle Reynolds, April 2020
I read the news today
Oh boy
The dreamers have won
The world is now one
United in a terrifying Petri dish
Russian Roulette with invisible guns
While I'm firing blanks at the same old targets
So what have you lost this decade?
I had spent so long feeling stuck at the station
Limiting communication
Highly impatient, waiting
For validation
And commiseration
Trapped in humiliation
And alienation
Hiding behind my education, racing against hesitation, waiting
For a sign that I shouldn't quit
Getting sick of it
Saw my exit so I split
Yes I booked it
I landed in darkness yet was blinded by lights
Spent the trip feeling nauseous, but never lost sight
Of what I wanted to do
I learned fast and I grew
Sure at times I might have stumbled but I never fell through
And it worked, or was working
Was finding some peace
I earned my seat at the table just in time for the feast
And now?
Hopes and dreams, aspirations hanging on by a thread
Mind's fraying, soul's tattered
And heart's nearly shred
Spilled guts laying tangled like yarn in a basket
Tapestry being wove but the world went and trashed it
This change is drastic.
So I've been exorcising daemons with exercise
Go on, add another mile
One more set
They don't have your stamina, never forget
Lungs burning, heart pounding in your chest like a drum
Now don't you ever stop to think about what you're running from
Like the pressure that you're under now to just stay afloat
Doing anything you can to not go down as a joke
As somebody who couldn't cut it, didn't have what it took
To turn over a new leaf and start rewriting the book
Keep reinventing, redefining, inspiring
When it's taking all I have to keep myself from expiring
And convincing myself it's somehow all meant to be
Ooh, lucky me
A universal decree
To slow down, take a breath, use the time to relax
Remind myself the whole world has gone a little off-track
The fact is I'm just not there yet; I'm trying but
It's hard to have your wings clipped when you just started flying
"Animal Instinct"- An Improvised Monologue
Created & Performed by Rochelle Reynolds, March 2020
This piece was loosely inspired by the now legendary
Carole Baskin from the Netflix documentary Tiger King. It is also one of my submissions to the 2020 World Monologue Games.
Crimes of the Heart- Monologue
Written by Beth Henley, Performed by Rochelle Reynolds
Crimes of the Heart is a wonderful Canadian play with three fabulous lead female roles--a great choice for female identifying performers looking for material. This was another one of my submissions to the 2020 World Monologue Games.
"Getaway"- An Improvised Monologue
Created and Performed by Rochelle Reynolds
This piece was shot in one take out on Georgian Bay one evening in July. It's my third and final submission to the 2020 World Monologue Games.
The Cat Dream
Written by Rochelle Reynolds, June 2020
In my dreams I killed a cat;
Imagine that.
He looked a lot like mine
But thinner
And older
And mangy
And rough
But more than that, he was friendly
He curled in my arms like he trusted me
And I chopped off his head
To make sure he was dead
A semblance of mercy...
The thing is, I botched it.
The knife didn't cut clean
So I pressed down on his body
As it wriggled and spazzed
And sawed in a panic
Right down to the bone
He didn't stop fighting 'til then.
When it was over, I felt heavy and numb
A cat's life is over, and I'm dead inside
I found out later it was all for not
The crisis for which murder became the only solution was averted
Hallelujah, Praise Be.
Too bad about the cat, but c'est la vie.
So dream time carried on as it does
Fragmented, askew, and entirely odd
But when the cat died, so did a facade
For when I awoke, it was plain to see
That the cat was a symbol, and I'd really killed me.
Haiku- Various
Written by Rochelle Reynolds, May-July 2020
Funny how your worth
Is of infinite value
Until you ask for pay
Office life drama
Mutiny on horizon
Stop clicking your pen
Swear it was right here
I am starting to lose faith
Squirrels finding nuts
It has been three days
And choppers are still circling
Missing man in Beach
Making future plans
Will we ever see them through
Improv over Zoom
Brain tied in knots
Synapses are not firing
Record on repeat
You reap what you sow
Somehow rings untrue right now
2020 vibes
What if thunder storms
Are God ripping the sky up
Turning a new leaf
Emilia- Othello
Performed by Rochelle Reynolds, February 2021