Coffee House Writers

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Fiction
      • Action & Adventure
      • Fantasy
      • Historical Fiction
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Romance
      • Science Fiction
      • Speculative Fiction
      • Suspense & Thrillers
      • Westerns
      • Women’s Fiction
      • Women Sleuths
    • Nonfiction
      • Astrology & Tarot
      • Biographies
      • Business
      • Creativity
      • Creative Nonfiction
      • Cooking, Food & Drink
      • Culture
      • Current Affairs & Politics
      • Design, Fashion & Style
      • Entertainment
      • Environment
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Home & Garden
      • Lifestyle
      • Media
      • Memoir & Autobiographies
      • Paranormal
      • Parenting & Family
      • Reviews
      • Science & Technology
      • Self-Help & Relationships
      • Spiritual & Religious
      • Sports
      • Travel
      • True Crime
    • Poetry
      • Acrostic
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login

logo

Coffee House Writers

  • Home
  • Article Categories
    • Fiction
      • Action & Adventure
      • Fantasy
      • Historical Fiction
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Romance
      • Science Fiction
      • Speculative Fiction
      • Suspense & Thrillers
      • Westerns
      • Women’s Fiction
      • Women Sleuths
    • Nonfiction
      • Astrology & Tarot
      • Biographies
      • Business
      • Creativity
      • Creative Nonfiction
      • Cooking, Food & Drink
      • Culture
      • Current Affairs & Politics
      • Design, Fashion & Style
      • Entertainment
      • Environment
      • Health & Wellness
      • History
      • Home & Garden
      • Lifestyle
      • Media
      • Memoir & Autobiographies
      • Paranormal
      • Parenting & Family
      • Reviews
      • Science & Technology
      • Self-Help & Relationships
      • Spiritual & Religious
      • Sports
      • Travel
      • True Crime
    • Poetry
      • Acrostic
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Founder
  • Meet Our Admin
    • Chief Editors
    • Editors
  • Testimonials
  • Apply
  • Login
  • The Sounds of the Subway

  • Of Lockets and Pomegranates: Chapter 14

  • Our Firm Foundation

  • The Devil and I

  • An ILL One’s Wish

  • LovING IT!

  • The Codfish Carbuncle Case: Chapter 1

  • Teen Witch’s Survival Guide: Chapter 9

  • Sanctuary

  • The Staying Offline Trend

  • Love Is…

  • Lover of the Queen: Fate

  • Quieter Moments

  • For the Feline I Miss

  • Beyond My Outpost

  • A Moonglow Dance

  • Proverbs for Paranoids 2026

  • Of Lockets and Pomegranates: Chapter 13

  • Zombie Killer Squad: Chapter Fourteen

  • A Dozen Red Roses

Poetry
Home›Poetry›Forcing the Words

Forcing the Words

By Erynn Crittenden
September 15, 2025
205
0
Share:
A notebook and crumpled papers on a light background
Rubidium Beach / Pexels
5
(1)

Is it poetry if the words are coerced?

Can we turn a stressful situation-
Full of anger and fear,
Insecurity and grief-
Into an inspirational tale
Of hope and renewal
While we’re still under its influence?

Or are they mere placeholders
For our true feelings
That come tumbling out
In their own time
And rock the foundations
Of everything we are?

Only the poet knows.

 


Editor: Shannon Hensley

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 1

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

As you enjoyed this post...

Follow us on social media!

Oh no!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

TagsMental HealthFree Verse Poetry
Previous Article

When Silence Speaks

Next Article

Your Actions Spoke Louder

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0

Erynn Crittenden

Erynn Crittenden has written poetry since she could hold a pen. This love prompted her to earn a BA in Creative Writing, where she learned how to experiment with syllables and styles. Since then, Erynn has self-published three poetry collections (By the Bones, Transfiguration, and Into the Western Sky) through Amazon. She also writes and publishes plenty of individual poems on her website, and her work has appeared in the Talon Literary Magazine, the Beautiful Poetry anthology by Silent Sparks Press, the #AmWriting anthology by the Wayne Foundation, and Life Blood: A Collection of Vampire Tales by Gary Hill. Erynn is also the creator and host of the Present Poetry Podcast, where she reads and celebrates a different poet every week. Find it and the rest of her works by visiting her website at LadyErynn.com.

Related articles More from author

  • Lotus flower
    CreativityParenting & FamilySelf-Help & RelationshipsPoetryMemoir & AutobiographiesEnvironmentHome & GardenHealth & WellnessLifestyle

    Who Is a Woman?

    June 20, 2022
    By Ritu Anand
  • Mental Health
    CreativityParenting & FamilySelf-Help & RelationshipsPoetryMemoir & AutobiographiesHealth & WellnessLifestyle

    To Whom Have I Become (Part 1)

    May 18, 2020
    By Sean Stevens
  • woman laughing
    Self-Help & RelationshipsLifestyleNonfiction

    Laugh Hysterically at Life’s Bloopers and Joyfully Move On Now

    October 24, 2022
    By Dawn Marie
  • hogwarts
    Self-Help & RelationshipsEnvironmentHealth & WellnessLifestyleCultureCreativity

    How My Nerdiness Is Helping Me Cope

    December 9, 2019
    By Amber Jenkins
  • woman in a river
    CultureCreativityFictionPoetryMemoir & Autobiographies

    Thirst

    March 22, 2021
    By Lisa Post
  • Two hands holding a black paper heart at the edges.
    Self-Help & RelationshipsNonfiction

    Fueled by the Power of Connection

    March 24, 2025
    By Jaclyn Weber-Hill

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You may be interested

  • Tears
    Poetry

    Facing The Music

  • EnvironmentCultureParenting & FamilyEntertainment

    Leave Excuses At The Door

  • Cover Photo
    FictionRomanceFantasy

    Ostara Rising: Chapter 4

Timeline

  • February 23, 2026

    The Sounds of the Subway

  • February 23, 2026

    Of Lockets and Pomegranates: Chapter 14

  • February 23, 2026

    Our Firm Foundation

  • February 23, 2026

    The Devil and I

  • February 23, 2026

    An ILL One’s Wish

Latest Comments

  • Ivor Steven
    on
    February 19, 2026
    Thank you very much for reading my poem here on CHW magazine. It was a fortuitous ...

    Beyond My Outpost

  • Ivor Steven
    on
    February 19, 2026
    Thank you for reading my poem here at CHW; I appreciate your thoughtful comments, EugiI

    Beyond My Outpost

  • Cheryl Batavia
    on
    February 18, 2026
    Ivor, the photo is perfectly paired with this poem, both reflecting the uncertainties of this era.

    Beyond My Outpost

  • Eugi
    on
    February 18, 2026
    Beautiful said, and excellent rhyming, Ivor. Where do we land where there is peace and light?

    Beyond My Outpost

  • Susi
    on
    November 3, 2025
    Beautiful, Ivor!

    Paddling In Time

About us

  • coffeehousewriters3@gmail.com

Donate to Coffee House Writers

Coindrop.to me

Follow us

© Copyright 2018-2025 Coffee House Writers. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s administrator and owner is strictly prohibited. Privacy Policy · Disclaimer