What’s in My Heart?
Sometimes I wish I knew
I’ve been working on a second chapbook of poetry for a couple years. The first version got the same result from everyone who read it: not enough relationship, not enough nuance. Too much: in your face. So, I rewrote it.
I thought I’d publish it this spring. I gave it to an editor/publisher; she gave it back. Not enough emotion. Her primary comment: the thoughts are good but don’t just describe a situation or event, tell me how you feel about it. So, it’s going through a second rewrite. I hope it will be out later this year.
She is not the first person to tell me this. I tend to say as much as possible with the fewest words. Sometimes that conveys what I feel (what’s in my heart) and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m working on identifying which is which so I can correct it on my own.
Writing what’s in my heart is much harder than I thought it was going to be.
Thanks for the prompt, Lucy.
