Hazel Spire: fiction - poetry - art

Making important marks on paper for half a century

Blog: "Fresh From the Inkwell"

ADJUSTING THE BALANCE IN 2012

February 1, 2012

Tags: new year's resolutions, balance, more, less, faith, regret, procrastination, grace

By small daily increments, there will be...

Less junk food, more veggies
~ start at the store.

Less caffeine, more water
~ for calmer nerves and smoother skin.

Less judging, more grace
~ give advice only if solicited.

Less yakking, more listening
~ but speak up if necessary.

Less whining, more appreciation
~ via words written & spoken.

Less procrastination, (more…)

DO YOU KNOW? A Carol for the Family

December 12, 2011

Tags: Christmas carol, nativity, wise men, star, Mary, angels, myrrh, cattle straw, Nazareth, Bethlehem, salvation, prophets, Herod, Emmanuel, Savior

Snug on a bed of cattle straw, Jesus lies sleeping.
Why is His mother weeping? Do you know?
In awe that the Father chose her the Christ Child to bear,
And gratitude that He has placed her in Joseph's care.

Over a field near Bethlehem, angels are singing.
Whose message are they bringing? Do (more…)

BUGSY, SLUG, THE BEATLES AND ME

November 15, 2011

Tags: Beatles, Liverpool, Ticket to Ride, fab, McCartney, Lennon, VW, Mersey Beat, Paperback Writer, Isle of Wight

My blue, three-speed Raleigh bumped over the railway crossing as I pedaled home from school in England, bursting with the news. I found my sister Linda in the side yard feeding her rabbit.

“Guess what!” I blurted out. “Bugsy invited us to hear the new Beatles album.”

“Let’s go!” she screamed.

Peeling off (more…)

LIBRARY FINES & FINE LIBRARIES

July 7, 2011

Tags: books, first library card, story time, summer reading club, British, Isle of Wight, fines, public libraries, Enid Blyton

I recently paid a library fine of $1.80. It wasn't my first, and doubtless will not be my last. My father used to turn in books late, so I'm following in his footsteps!

It was Dad who took me, at age 7, to get my own "ticket" from Sandown Public Library on the Isle of Wight. It's a (more…)

NEW LEAF IN A WRITER'S NOTEBOOK

January 18, 2011

Tags: writing, new year, resolutions, commitment, motivation, new leaf

AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS POEM WAS PUBLISHED IN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNICATOR. IT'S TIME TO RENEW THE PROMISE.

I solemnly declare before the Muses:
That 2011 is going to be a year
Devoted to pursuit of my career.
No longer dare I mutter lame excuses.

With schedule taped upon my office door,
I’ (more…)

KINDRED SPIRITS

January 17, 2011

Tags: art, crafts, writing, faith, network, studio

Isn't it fun to meet people on the same wavelength, those who understand your craving for color, texture, and busy fingers? They can't just sit and watch TV but must keep the hands moving. They knit, crochet, or quilt for everyone in the family, passing on heirlooms like their grandmothers before them? Then there (more…)

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

August 22, 2010

Tags: rainbow, noah, moving, promise

"I set my rainbow in the clouds and it shall be for the sign of the covenant...." Genesis 9:13
In June 1996, as we drove into The Colony, TX, after three years in Egham, UK, a double rainbow appeared. I took it as a reminder of God's hand guiding us, as surely as (more…)

Selected Works

Children's Novels
P3 Press 2008. 135 pages. "I can't wait to read it to my students!" ~ Susan See, LISD Teacher-of-the Year Finalist. "A heartwarming story of family, acceptance, and buried treasure." ~ Laura Edge, Children's Author
Royal Fireworks Press 2001. 123 pages. Mystery for middle grades, enjoyed by readers age 7-70. "It was so exciting I even got up early just to read it." ~ Joanne (8), England.
Work-in-Progress
SECRET OF THE SEVENTH GATE sequel. The Texas 1979 reunion between the Graham & Darabi families is overshadowed by the Iran hostage crisis!
Poetry Chapbooks
A chapbook from RaeMark Press, June 2003. $6.00 B&W illustrations by the author. Click on title for sample poems.
38 illustrated pieces, ranging in style from Shakespeare to Ginsberg, trace a rich pattern woven over five decades of living. RaeMark Press 2006. Click on title for sample poems.
Memoir
Fly with Lucy in the Sky, back to time when everything was fab!
A tribute to my teacher, Miss Irene Wheeler
Magazine Articles
Published in Welcome Home. A survey of women's experiences with newborns.
Interview with founding members of a Mothers of Multiples chapter
What made novelist Thomas Hardy switch to poetry for the rest of his life? Published in Quartos, UK.