No

By Ambria Richardson

There is a personal satisfaction 
In saying the word.
When pronounced, 
one’s tongue lightly taps 
the soft palette.
The abdomen moves 
towards the spine,
as the diaphragm 
contracts sharply 
to push out 
a small puff of air 
with which to carry 
the singular syllable.
And the lips come to rest, 
in an almost perfect circle.
It is a powerful word.
With it, one should have the complete capability 
to refuse anything.
It gives one the illusion of control over their personhood.

It is unfortunate though,
because I started to forget one crucial piece of information:
for any word to have meaning, there must be someone who listens.