St - Stuttering Together!  We Shall Overcome!
National Stuttering Awareness Day - is October 22nd

The PoetPatriot's Stutter
by Roger W Hancock

     I am Roger W Hancock, the PoetPatriot. I am a stutterer. Not as bad as some but more than others. I was much worse when I was a child. The teasing by other children did not help much, but such is life. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me," eventually became the mantra of my retaliation. I had speech therapy in grade school but remember nothing, only that I was in it. I do however, remember the stuttering.
      I am a bit more self-conscious than most people anyway, so in fighting my stutter I also must fight myself. Confidence in what I was doing or talking about lessened my stammer. I learned from that and from other observations but found the implementation to be much more difficult. When I am nervous or excited I will stutter more. When relaxed and confident in what I am doing I stutter less. Surprisingly, in spite of me, I do pretty well  with public speaking on stage.
      I have had friends who were not aware I stammered, until I, apologized for a little stutter. Most people will stutter at some time or other, so apparently I am over-self-conscious of my stutter. Unless really caught on a sound, I have learned to push past the little stutters. Most people will not even notice, let alone remember.
      When really engrossed in a conversation I find myself stuttering more, but will try the various tactics I have learned to overcome. I also have learned to mentally re-write words or phrases to allow a more smooth delivery of the thought. I believe the mental rewrite technique has facilitated my creativity in poetry.
     Below you will find my poems and thoughts on stuttering. Working together sharing experiences, failures and victories... Observing - Listening - Learning . . . Relaxing . . . We Will Overcome!

© 01-05-2012 Roger W Hancock  www.PoetPatriot.com

Stressed Victory
by Roger W Hancock
  
Victory expression,
when in myself I find,
words and calmness to express,
beyond the stutter stress.
 
© 12-07-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 

Do A Rewrite
by Roger W Hancock

     When stuck upon a word, I will try to come up with another that will break the stutter. Another word or phrase to convey the same thought but that I might be able to pronounce without stuttering through it.  I will often stutter when telling someone my name, "Roger Hancock." When that happens I will often stop and then say, "Hancock, Roger Hancock." Doing that breaks the throat restriction of trying to say, "Roger." Restarting with "Hancock" will usually allow me to follow with "Roger," without the stutter. I believe the technique of using different words and sentences to avoid my stutter, have helped build the skill of writing poetry.
 
© 12-08-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Speak a Speech

     Make every sentence a speech. Your thoughts are just as valid as the next person. Some will agree and some most certainly will not. Do not worry whether or not received, the greatest orators had resistors. “Who am I to express my thoughts?” My thoughts are no less important than yours, thus, yours no less than mine. One who makes a speech has the air of authority. The confident person will present themselves as authoritative. Stuttering is a stumbling block causing self-consciousness which then causes us to stammer more. Break the cycle and be confident. With every word, every phrase, and every sentence, speak out as if a speech.
 
© 12-08-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Talk Like Ted
by Roger W Hancock

     Remember the character Ted Knight on the Mary Tyler Moore Show?  He was an egotistical arrogant news announcer who would always talk as though announcing a news story. He would suck in his stomach/diaphragm, modulate his voice, and enunciate his words, clearly and plainly.  When I do the same I find I do not stutter. However, (to myself) I sound just as flakey as Ted Knight did on the show. Because of that my self-consciousness has kept me from using that technique. So forget yourself and remember to talk like Ted.
 
© 12-08-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Don't Appologize
by Roger W Hancock

     Although it may have become a habit, try to avoid appologizing for a stutter. Work past it and move on with your conversation. If your stuttering is mild the listener may not have even noticed the stutter. Such applies when giving a speech; when you make a mistake simply move on and few will even notice or remember it.
 
© 12-07-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Stuttered Endurance
by Roger W Hancock

St - st - st - stut – stuttering,
‘got much to say,
but cah - cah - can’t get it out.
Ta - Ta - Talking not easy,
some take for granted.
Nuh - Nuh - Nuh - No patience,
for me when I wish to respond.
So I - I stuh - stuh - stuh – stew,
in quiet, frustrated reflection.
When on my buh - buh - best duh - days,
sometimes I pause, silence,
then proceed with rewrote words,
to avoid the muscle sp - spasm.
That bl - bl - blasted stuh - stuttering,
self consciousness over whelms,
when expression locked inside.
Loo - Loo - Look beyond the self yu - yu -
you see, release the inner you.
Gee - Gee - Geeenius lies in everyone,
reh - ready to express, when…
self conscious thoughts ignored.
Suh - Suh - Sooooh, I in spite of me,
find other means, other words,
to express my inner thuh - thoughts. 

© 04-04-2003 Roger W Hancock   www.PoetPatriot.com
 

Be Patient People
by Roger W Hancock

     Do not tell me to slow down!   I have heard “Slow down.” thousands of times and I already know that if I were to slow down I might be able to get my words across.  Stuttering is tough enough without the added stress of being told over and over what to do when you are already trying to do so!  My throat constricts as I try to get the words spoken before I lose the thought. The inability to slow down seems just as much a part of stuttering as the stuttering itself. I have learned tricks like rephrasing sentences or using different words to avoid the sounds on which I am stuck. When you tell me to slow down you are disrupting that thought process as well as build my frustration ( I already know to slow down!!!! Just can’t do it! ). So if you wish to help me … please do not help me. Perhaps simply suggest the word you think I am trying to get to, but give me time to try first.
     As with other handicaps, as a stutterer, I do not want your sympathy, I do not want your help. Let me do it on my own, even if I struggle.  Please be patient. I know that can be difficult, as I find that I also get impatient with others who are worse stutterers than I am.
     Be patient and endure the frustration of trying to listen to me and know that I suffer with you.

- Rhyme -
 
Burdened Strength
by Roger W Hancock

Everyone carries a burden,
some more obvious than others.
Look to God who gave the burden,
He also gave you the strength.

© 12-06-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com
 

Stutter, ‘Studder’ or Stammer?
by Roger W Hancock

     When I stutter do I ‘studder?’  Searching the internet for the correct spelling I find that when I ‘studder’ I am not stuttering, even though I stutter. I may stammer when I stutter but I do not ‘studder.’ I have found organizations that have used the word ‘studder’ but they must have stuttered when writing it down and came up with the incorrect ‘studder.’ Though we stutter we are smarter so we check our spelling and discard the spelling of ‘studder’. ‘Studdering’ apparently has no meaning, while ‘stutter’ and ‘stammer’ reflects our talking.
     So when a comment about our ‘studder,’ tell them you do not ‘studder.’ We may stutter, we may stammer but we never, never, ‘studder.’

© 12-07-2011 Roger W Hancock www.PoetPatriot.com
 

- Haiku -
 
Struggled Expression
by Roger W Hancock

Intense desire,
struggling expressive voice;
stammering burden.

© 12-06-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com
 

Stuttered Justice
by Roger W Hancock

     People can be cruel. Sometimes intentional, sometimes they just think they are funny. Laughing with them sometimes turns the laughing away from being at you to laughing with you. Laugh with me but not at me, but if you laugh at me, I learn the frailty of your heart.
     I once had a co-worker who would on occasion mimic my stuttering. His name was Tom. Tom worked construction while I worked in maintenance. Tom also served as chairman of the local Utility Coordinating Council. One day he saw me across the construction yard and could not resist a conversation with me. So, here comes Tom to wish me a good day, and of course, to mimic my stuttering.
     On that particular day Tom was scheduled to chair the Utility Coordinating Council meeting. The following day he again purposely looked me up but with a different purpose. He 'sort of' apologized, saying he would never mimic my stuttering again. Tom then told me that after mimicking my stuttering he was not able to ‘shake off’ the stuttering all day. He had stuttering through chairing his scheduled meeting. Poetic justice? Stuttered justice?
     I guess I got the last laugh on that. However it is my hope that Tom not only for self-preservation stopped making fun of my stuttering but also learned from it. Hopefully Tom learned a little compassion having himself experienced some of the stutterer's frustration.
     I now wonder, did I laugh with Tom or at him?

© 12-08-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Prepare to Speak
by Roger W Hancock

Relax, take a breath,
modulate to speak,
as announcer on TV.
suck in your gut to speak,
know what you want to say,
enunciate your speech.
Do not care what other think,
relax within your speech.
Take a breath every sentence,
with confidence of speech,
within your mind place the words,
for your thought convey,
then begin to speak.
 
© 12-08-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 

Visualize and Practice
by Roger W Hancock

     Visualize yourself fluently talking. Visualize yourself up on a stage giving a speech. Remember a particular conversation with a family member or close friend and visualize it without the stuttering. Now go to that person, stop, breath, visualize and begin to speak the same words you remember from the earlier conversation. Knowing and visualizing what you are going to say helps to reduce the stress of the expected stuttering. However it will not happen overnight for most of us. Practice, practice will make more perfect. Remember, "Baby Steps." You begin by using previous conversations or using a written out dialog and then progress visualizing in a normal impromptu conversation.
     Perhaps join a Toastmasters club. There are techniques in public speaking that may help you to regulate your speech. I found Toastmasters to be very useful in teaching techniques that I use in conversation. I also gained confidence in Public Speaking thus gaining confidence in normal conversations. Toastmasters provide a non-threatening environment in which to improve public speaking, inadvertently improving your casual talk. Using the successes in Toastmasters gives you experiences you can use to visualize success. Visualization and practice will help you to slow down to a more deliberate and less stressful speech with more regulated fluency.

© 12-09-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Me the Key
     by Roger W Hancock

When just friends we were,
talking was easier then.
Now that I’m sweet on you,
the stuttering keeps me quiet.

Your presence sweet,
enjoyed so just as friends.
Conversing about your dreams,
so relaxing was your voice,

Now my heart it pounds within,
my chest I think might burst.
Just to hear your voice again,
brings no comfort to that thirst.

They say no gain without the pain,
but when will love release?
It feels so great to love you so,
but the pain I cannot bear.

Maybe it be me the key,
that the secret be with me.
Courage must be to tell you, so…
you’ll know, I’m in love with you.

© 02-10-2002 Roger W Hancock  www.PoetPatriot.com

Note:  "Me the Key" is my first poem to mention stuttering.

Mechanical Fluency
by Roger W Hancock

     Do you find you do not stutter as much when talking across the internet on your computer?  If so there is a phenomenon that may be in play. If there is a fraction of a second delay in your hearing your own voice your brain is slightly confused and is forced to slow down which also slows down your speaking. Have you ever heard the echo of your own voice on a cell phone? Well both delays are similar with the echo having a greater delay than desired. The echo you hear on a cell phone is annoying, forcing you to either slow down to talk past it or to hang up and try again.
     When I was in college I had a Radio Show (just on campus) I was able to announce a recording without stuttering. I would turn off the microphone and then stammer through asking someone for a particular recording to cue up. When I turned the microphone back on to announce the recording I did not stutter.  After learning of the delay phenomenon I thought back. The college radio studio had a large window between it and the lobby where there were speakers to allow visitors to listen. I remember that the speakers could be slightly heard inside the studio, but not enough to interfere. There was a very slight delay of my voice filtered through the electronics and the window causing my brain to slow itself down allowing me to talk more fluently.
     The concept of delaying your own voice back to you has been used to create an earpiece that looks much like a hearing aid.  Instead of amplifying sounds it delays sounds to your ear and brain. That delay will allow a stutterer to slow down and more fluently carry on a conversation. I am a cheap-skate and unwilling to put out the cost of such a device. A friend of mine who cannot speak a single fluent sentence bought one of these devices and was able to carry on a more fluent conversation with much less stuttering then without the device. He was ecstatic over the improvement.
     There are various manufacturers of Anti-stuttering devices, and they can be quite “spendy.” If you can use natural means to slow yourself down that is much preferred. However, we know how difficult that can be. You must decide which method, natural or mechanical, you will use. If your stuttering is severe, I sincerely suggest one of these devices.
     Terms to search for the devices: stuttering cure, fluency device, stuttering device, stuttering aids and easy speech.

© 12-09-2011 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 
 

Practice... Reading Poetry
by Roger W Hancock

     Reading Poetry is an exercise that allows practice in regulating the speed of your speech as well as proper delivery as prescribed by the punctuation. Read Poetry out loud with an audience of one or more.  Read the poetry slowly paying attention to the punctuation. Reading poetry with the intent to deliver it as the author intended makes your mind work more thus slowing it down and often reducing stuttering. Slowing down the mind will either reduce the stammering or allow you more control over the delivery of your thoughts allowing a reduction in your stammer.
     Poetry should be read slowly with attention paid to all punctuation. I tend to read fast, subconsciously, trying to get my thoughts out before the stutter. Reading poetry I have had to learn to read slower, forcing my mind to slow down, subsequently, reducing my stuttering. Think of a Coffee House with 'Open Mic’ Night,' people singing, playing jazz, or reading poetry. The poetry is often read at a pace slower than one would normally read out loud. Poetry when read is a performance art. Perform as you read the poetry. Pretending to perform builds confidence for when you perform your talking. Poetry reading out loud with an audience builds confidence and provides the practice of regulating your speaking.
     Practice reading; practice poetry; using the practice to learn about yourself and your stuttering. The more you learn which techniques work the more tools you have to use when talking. Public Speaking is the number one fear among Americans. Overcome that fear and you have substantially increased your confidence. Increase your confidence and you may substantially decrease your stuttering. Use Poetry as a tool to learn the regulating of your mind in formulating your thoughts and then the slower delivery when you speak. Regulate your speech; regulate your mind with practice, verbally reading poetry.

© 01-09-2012 Roger W Hancock, www.PoetPatriot.com 

Links

101 Stuttering Links - The Stutterer - 50s Sci-Fi tale - Stuttering in Court - Marily Monroe - Stuttering Entrepreneurs - More

Intn'l Stuttering Associaton  - Improving conditions for children, adolescents and adults who stutter.

National Stuttering Association - Support for people who stutter.

Stuttering is Cool.com - Audio Podcast about stuttering & stammering with confidence.

                            Back to Index                         Request to use Materials

Stuttering w/the PoetPatriot
St - Stuttering Together!  We Shall Overcome!