One of the scariest words
is no-
an intangible weapon
that can hurt more than anything physical.
Standing alone,
it can shut down anything
and anyone.

It can stop things before they start,
shut down ideas born within people’s heads,
make sure that they never see the light of day,
simply for fear of having to face 
those two letters.

It is an enemy none of us want to meet,
yet it is a weapon
that we haven’t thought twice 
about using against others.
Letting it slip from the tongue
is so effortless-
aim for the target 
and it will hit its mark every time.

Words were made to be used,
no matter how hard they are to hear.

Weapons were made to be used too,
but that doesn’t always mean they should be.