Two Doses of Unwanted Energy: Standing Firm on Personal Boundaries

 

Two Doses of Unwanted Energy

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.