No Is A Full Sentence

I used to swallow silence just to keep the peace.

I have bent my spine to fit into rooms that never made space for me.

I thought kindness meant never closing a door,

never turning away,

never choosing myself first.

But I’ve learned that soft doesn’t mean spineless,

and that love without consent is not love at all.

Now,

I speak with my whole chest;

No.

Not today.

Not like this.

Not anymore.

“No”

is not cruel,

No is not bitter.

“No”

is a boundary with breath behind it.

I do not owe my time to hands that only take.

I do not owe my yes to anyone but me.

This voice,

this voice is mine, and it says no when it means no;

and yes only when it wants to.