I needed a no

I needed a “no”
To temper my go,
To give me a space,
To slow down the pace.

I needed a “no”
To protect all the yeses
And prevent a few messes.

You see
A “yes” is a “no,”
Somewhere unspoken
And unseen.

A “yes” is a “no”
To my kids
Or my man or my God.

That’s why

I needed a “no”
Sometimes spoken
And seen.

So that that my smile is full
And my heart is still,

So that my yeses are “yes”
And my “no” fosters peace.

"But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’" (Mathew 5:37)