Hazel Prosser

OVERVIEW

As someone who has experienced many losses, Hazel has often turned to writing to process her emotions.

Grief affects us all, yet it is complex and different for everyone. It is also an emotive subject, hard to talk about, and we can often struggle for the right words when faced with bereavement, whether that be our own or losses of others.

Through the medium of this collection of poems, Hazel has skilfully opened that challenging dialogue, giving special attention to pet loss, a form of grief which is so often overlooked by society. With these words as guidance, we can bring those conversations using the poems as openings or even continuances, for both ourselves and anyone we are supporting. Ultimately, we will learn to understand and witness grief from different perspectives and to be kind to ourselves and others.

When she shared her first poem 'Whispering to Your Heart', Hazel was overwhelmed at its impact. Many who read it thanked her for articulating their grief in a way that made sense, in some cases enabling them to begin their long, healing journey. Since then, she has been asked countless times to publish her poems, and now, Hazel is delighted to have done so. In this, her first compendium, you will find poems covering many areas of grief (including anticipatory grief), and through these, by dipping in and out of them as needed, she hopes that you too can start a journey of recovery.

Hazel's poems are full of intense emotions, delving as they do into the depths of mourning, so this is in no way a light-hearted read. It is, though, a must for anyone experiencing grief and loss, whether it be their own, or that of someone close.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, England, Hazel learnt from a young age how devastating grief could be. With parents considered ‘older’ when she was born, it was inevitable that loss would become an integral part of her life.

As a three-month-old baby, the family sadly lost their beloved Miniature Poodle, 'Charlotte', and though Hazel was too young to remember 'Charlotte', her mother would talk about the little dog often. Hazel is convinced that her mother never truly got over this loss, often telling Hazel how long it had taken her to recover from the grief.

At the age of four-and-a-half, Hazel was forced to spend an extended period away from her parents when her mother was hospitalised for several weeks ahead of the birth of her younger brother. Cared for by relatives, Hazel nevertheless found the separation difficult, especially when it coincided with her father being away on jury service.

Animals came and went through Hazel's life, and it is in their memory she has created the photo spread in the centre of the book. As she references in many of her poems, Hazel has always felt safe and loved by animals who have been constant companions during a life which hasn't always been easy.

Writing became a way of life for Hazel to express her emotions, and poetry her method of choice. She would spend hours writing everything she was feeling into flowing verses which she would then safely tuck away, never intending her words to be read by anyone else. Life, though, as it so often does, presented Hazel with an opportunity to share some of her poetry, specifically those around pet loss and grief, and the rest, as they say, is history!

'Whispering to Your Heart - Comforting Poetry in Seasons of Grief' is a culmination of a lifetime of work and the beginning of a dream that Hazel still can't believe is real. The feedback from both professionals and from the bereaved who are finding solace in her words is heartwarming.

Conclusively, Hazel says that she has “Often mourned pets more than she has people”. It is her hope that pet bereavement is recognised and that her book is thought of as a companion of words following the loss of a faithful companion.

Whether one grieves a person or a pet, each loss is unique and each grief journey different. The words of poems often provide comfort food for the broken soul.