To Denise:
Thank you so much for your warm and personal inspiration two years ago during the time I was contributing to Seeker Magazine. Though we have not talked in a while, you are still the shining in my heart that enriches me beyond measure. Your stories and essays every month in Seeker always remind me of the sweetness and wisdom that you offer freely to everyone. I will always remember you with playful love of a fellow seeker.
In your last mail to me you said, "...I often wish I were close enough to my fellow Seekers to exchange real hugs..." Well, just give yourself a big hug and hold the thought that it is from me.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, I know you will succeed because of the greatness of your spirit and your intention to share the mystery of seeking. How lucky we are.
Love and Gratitude,
Dennis Hill
Letter to the Author at
In a forest by a campfire, where they weave a wondrous tale,
I once met a bard, a lady faire; her name...Ellenodale.
She was well-known for her kindness and her generosity
And she asked if I would spin a yarn about an aged tree.
I was nervous, apprehensive...not sure I could stand the test;
But with gentle tone, she bade me to simply do my best.
When completed, I dispatched it to her worthy magazine
To be accepted or rejected...would it fit the "Seeker" scheme?
It was greeted with enthusiasm and sincerity;
It appeared on cyberpages for all the world to see!
But that was only the beginning for, beneath her genial eye,
I found my earthbound words were given wings with which to fly.
The flotsam and the jetsam from my pen, she took with grace;
Even though I'm sure that much of it was just a waste of space.
Then came the birth of a new topic...myths of universal lore.
I submitted one and she requested that I send her more.
When the invite came to join the staff as resident columnist,
It was an honor and a privilege far too flattering to resist.
Success in many other quarters since has brought a sense of pride;
Yet, without this bard's encouragement, I never might have tried.
With her departure, stars have grown more dim...the sky becomes less blue,
Though her guiding light, forever bright, shines always strong and true.
I shall miss her, but the memory eternal will prevail
Of a campfire in a forest, where I met Ellenodale.
With much love and the wave of a grateful plume to
My revered and most talented former Editor...
NovaReinna the Gypsy
Letter to the Author at Novareinna@aol.com
In 1995 I bought a computer. It was new to me, vastly complicated and had all of 4 megabytes of RAM. I was a recent widower and wrote articles for club newsletters and obituaries for our local town newspaper. I'd never heard of the internet and had no idea it was destined to be a vast repository for the written word.
It was fun to write on a computer keyboard, so easy in fact that I searched for an outlet. There weren't many. Saturday Review of Literature made a brave attempt to accept short pieces for their site on AOL. It soon folded. AOL itself maintained a very volatile and pugnacious "Writer's Club."
It was scary writing for the Writer's Club. Members would be at you like a pack of wolves if you didn't stick to the rules. Then, one day, like a breath of fresh air, I got an e-mail from Denise Ruiz. She praised a short essay I had written in the Writer's Club and wanted it for Seeker. I will be forever in her debt.
I am an old man, as Lear said, "Fourscore and upward." My world is bound by the narrowness of these four walls, but Denise Ruiz taught me to spread these old gray wings and fly again.
Harry Buschman
Letter to the Author at
I don't really have a story to tell per say, but I do have a connection. Denise Ruiz is my aunt :) And I love the magazine that she is so proud of. It's too bad that she won't be doing Seeker anymore, but I will still read it. I love Denise, she's good for the soul :) I miss her too. I hope that she reads this and gives her family a visit. Love you aunt Denise!
Melissa Ruiz
Letter to the Author at