"I am Angry Nearly Every Day of My Life"

-Marmee from Little Women

And for too long, I tempered this rage.

Built a dam forged of productivity

and disorder -- working, serving, pleasing.

All in an attempt to subdue my fury.

Be grateful. Be humble. Be Sweet.

I self-lobotomized as a hobby.

After each procedure, I hoped --

Maybe this time, I'll stay good.

But I remain a woman in this world,

my body one of millions of battlefields

where war has raged for generations.

Silence is no longer an option.

Not when women are forced to bear children.

Not when girls are taught to starve to stay small

Not when kindergarteners practice active-shooter drills.

Not while our world remains ensnared in the grip

of violent, power-hungry men

This is a poem from the book "If Adam Picked the Apple"

This is what happens when silence breaks.

When “be sweet” no longer fits. When rage is no longer buried under productivity, politeness, and expectation.

Hi, I’m Danielle Coffyn—poet, educator, and facilitator of spaces where writing becomes a bridge back to ourselves and each other. I’m the author of If Adam Picked the Apple (North Meridian Review, 2024) and a Pushcart Prize recipient, with poems published in LitBop, North Meridian Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, and more.