Prompt / Saying No
Learning No
A poem of never-too-late
Learning words, I discovered NO was not for me — for others, yes — for me NO.
YES was my word, for everyone for everything, in all circumstances, I grimaced a YES.
For 40+ years of yeses, for 40+ years of them over me, YES was expected.
Until . . .
I learned NO. A late-learner, a late-bloomer, I stammered NO.
One time, two, a dozen, felt the freedom that only NO provides.
Felt the reclamation of me in two letters — NO — a word of liberty.
NO joined my vocabulary like an urban dictionary addition, giving me power —
Power I never knew before, power to choose me over you and them.
NO isn’t a child’s word, but a word of maturity, a word of self-determination.
I often choose NO.
I often choose ME.
© Dennett 2021
In response to this prompt by Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她):
And, tagging these poets to respond if so inclined:
Suzanne V. Tanner / Crystalclearcandace / Daniel A. Teo / LS / Tasneem Kagalwalla
