Colors of "No"

The "No" ...
Is a blade that cuts,
is a root that affirms,
is a wall that protects.

The "No" burns...
breaks...
shakes,
shatters what should no longer be.
It is negation and a stone in the road
but it also saves and liberates.
Culture asks that it be softened
decorated
or justified.

The grays of "no"...
erode self-esteem,
security,
self-care
and respect.
They murmur between desire and fear,
refuge and delay,
seed of anxiety
and frustration.

The grays caress and accompany,
the "No" sustains and determines.
And on that border...
only a sigh is the limit.