All of us are regular people trying to do our best to make the world a better place in our small capacities. And, being the nice people whom we are, we find it hard to reject others when they make requests.
Airline personnel always remind us to secure life jackets for ourselves before doing the same for the other members of our families.
There’s good reason for that – if we don’t survive ourselves, we can’t expect others to do so. Sometimes, saying ‘no’ and looking after our own needs first benefits everyone more than we think.
Enjoy these butterfly cinquains.
Bent arms
So hard to cross
Opens our tired forms
Outstretching our worn hands
To all
Crossed arms
Some practice to fold and unfold
The need to cross certain
For sake of all
Fold firm
Firm arms
Stretch to set space
Arms mark the area
Where all can move around
Crossed in
Steady
Arms crossed yet know
When the long limbs should meet
And when the slim joints should let go
Movement.
The Getting Literal Writing Alcove 