The Door of Empathy

Empathy is a door
When opened, it lets me see your point of view,
Feel your emotions,
And walk a mile in those
Well-worn shoes-
Whether I want to or not.
When it’s closed, it acts as a boundary-
A way to protect myself
From the negativity
Of the world around me,
So I can remain free
To be myself
-Which is why I’ve finally installed a lock
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.
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