The Strength to Say No
 

A warm home,
A healthy home,
A home where thoughts gather and memories, remembered.
Is the home of the person,
Who dares say no,
To the white paper rolls.
For though the paper is white,
Its inside is filled with tears.
The tears of regret by those who couldn’t say no,
My grandma said no,
And I respect her for her wisdom.
She didn’t touch the pieces of poison,
Or eat its bitterness as if it were sweet.
For an illusion it causes,
To turn itself into gold.
But my grandma said no.
She is now ninety-nine,
She has a respectable reputation,
A heart as healthy as if she was nine,
A wise mind,
And altogether so was her home.


Writer’s Note: Try to imagine the grandma as a relative you know who doesn’t smoke and see if you could relate to this poem