Written by Devon Neal
For my daughter
No is a brave word.
It’s an abbreviation
for self-reliance,
a waving flag
of independence.
It is a rule-maker,
a rebuke.
No is a great granite wall
against armies.
It is a pocket mirror,
a set of headphones,
a face mask.
At a party, no
is a weapon;
at work, a book.
Wield no with courage—
a doe in the woods,
a cat in the night.
.
Devon Neal (he/him) is a Kentucky-based poet whose work has appeared in many publications, including HAD, Stanchion, Stone Circle Review, Livina Press, and The Storms, and has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. He currently lives in Bardstown, KY, with his wife and three children.