This is my very first book. It comes from an exceptionally hard point in my life full of big changes, turning points and adversity. It’s written out of order to reflect the chaos of my life and the jumble that was my life at the time of creation. The title is an homage to Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun and a reminder that all of life is learning to maintain balance.
Pearls & Swine was inspired by an old saying my dad used to love – “Don’t throw your Pearls to Swine”. Why you would you throw your pearls to a pig? You wouldn’t, and that’s the point. This book centers on not wasting your time on things and people which are draining you and there is no discernible reason to do so. It’s a reminder to invest in the things you value, and build a life full of meaning. Inspired by the journey of coming into your own, human connection and my love for all things nature.
North of Dreams is the third and final book in what I’ve come to affectionately call “The Icarus Collection”. It is a message of hope and a poetic way to encourage you to “keep on keeping on” – even when you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. Inspired by everyday life and all things nature, this is my testament that life is an adventure. You may not get to choose your starting point in life, but you choose your path. Enjoy the ride, hang on tight and enjoy every piece of the scenery as it passes you by.
Inspired by the rugged, but beautiful lands of Northern Ontario, these poems explore what it means to be human by drawing on lessons that can be learned by watching the way nature moves and changes with the seasons. Mother Nature is an artist, and at heart, we are as wild as these lands we call home. It’s a poetry meant to evoke peace as we change through the seasons of life.
J.L. Fizzell 