Revisions have their own rewards

My debut novel, Come Back for Me, has recently gone through revisions, but I have to admit, it's still not quite ready to be sent off to agents/publishers. What a ride it has been! Though writers are naturally wedded to their prose, I must admit that making these changes has been (dare I say it?) --exhilarating. It proved to me that I can make changes and not lose the essence of my work. It also tells me that my work is not sacrosanct; it can be altered and yes, improved.  And those changes can take it in directions that are entirely unanticipated. It’s like turning the corner of a familiar street and discovering an entirely new neighborhood. It can be frightening to veer away from the familiar. But that is what writing fiction is all about: opening oneself to unexpected paths and honing the experience so that it speaks to those beyond oneself.

Having lived in Boston for several years, I was moved to write a poem in response to the terrible events of April 15.


Ode to Boston

The city will not die
By fire
Or smoke
Or bursting nails.
A gun is shot
Your mark is set
The race goes on
To reach
The bell upon the hill.

The torch will pass
From hand to hand
Through missing arms
And legs
And wind.
Their necks are hard
Their eyes are wide
Not daunted by the
Pointed shards dispersed along
The bloody trail
They run for freedom.

Sharon Hart-Green, April 15, 2013