The Power Of The Word No Poem by Shaun Cronick

No.
A simple word.
A small word.
A powerful word.
No.
Just rolls off the tongue.
So easy to say.
When spoken.
Never forgotten.
A retired police officer, a good man,
Once told me a story,
Of the sheer power this simple,
Small word has,
On other people.
No.
People would approach him and ask,
For favours or to take advantage,
Of his good nature.
Basically they were taking the mickey.
So for him,
Enough was enough.
A line had been crossed.
A moral line.
So,
When he was asked for something,
And when all who asked expected,
A positive answer,
A yeah no problem answer,
A I'll do it now answer,
He replied,
No.
He then told me how flabbergasted,
These people were.
Total surprise.
Total chagrin.
Totally speechless,
For a moment or two.
Then they went on and on,
Why they needed his time and this favour.
He replied to them again,
No.
Then they asked him why.
And then he tore verbal strips off them.
The air turned blue.
They soon came round to this,
Good man's way of thinking,
And surprise surprise,
Never asked him again.
When telling me this story he made the analogy,
Of a child always wanting and demanding things.
No, you can't have one.
No, you've been naughty.
No, it costs too much money.
He said it's the first word a child not only learns,
Like mummy or daddy,
But,
The first word a child,
Not only learns but understands the meaning of.
The power of the word...
No!