Two Doses of Unwanted Energy: Standing Firm on Personal Boundaries

 

Two Doses of Unwanted Energy

By Adika A. Toussaint / HumbleLove

The shift was almost over,

the afternoon sun low and heavy on the tile,

when the first breeze of audacity walked in—

presumptuous words wrapped in a careless smirk,

asking for things where the sun doesn't shine.

I offered no ground, no flicker of grace,

just a steady voice that sent the silence back:

Hold your phone.

Before the doors could finally latch,

a second shadow crossed the frame.

"I have something for you," came the trade,

"but what do I get in return?"

Because the world insists on price tags,

on transactional smiles and stolen peace.

I stood behind my boundary—

unshaken, unbothered, and unbroken.

Two doses of noise in a single day,

two waves crashing against a quiet shore.

They brought their entitlement to my counter,

but left empty-handed—

because my peace is not for bargain,

and my space is mine to keep.