Xeno Hemlock

The failure of my debut novel and two other books put my writing career to a halt. For a year or two, I wouldn’t admit it. It took a lot financially, mentally, and emotionally to get to a point where I was pursuing my dream instead of just ‘living.’ Not seeing the results I wanted was a hard pill to swallow so I inadvertently stayed in limbo. 

I strayed off my path, joined tribes I didn’t belong in, and trusted people (disguised as friendly hooligans) that poisoned my spirit. In the process, I became estranged with the person who poured his heart and soul in everything he wrote, incorrect grammar and bad sentence structures notwithstanding.

An uninvited guest, the pandemic, and the quarantines it brought, reintroduced me to a serene and humble life. Once again, I heard my voice previously drowned by life’s busyness and noise. Day by day, as we all crawled back to normalcy, away from the voyeuristic digital public, life happened to me. It’s the life I might never write about or, perhaps, I would in fragments and themes in my future writings. 

My vision repainted and spirit strengthened, I have resurrected from the grave. It’s the same face. It’s the same name. But I’m a new man. I will still be talking about the past, for my previous works deserve to be recognized. I will resume work towards the future as I feel rejuvenated. Most definitely, I will be living in the present. Here and now. I’m staying.