No is No!

you might be bigger
taller
wider
better-built
but your words do not carry more weight

my voice might not be as deep
penetrating
rough
and yours is louder
—strangling mine
but i am still telling you

No!

i am not qualified
to scream back at you
while you
are humiliating me
in front of your peers

you call it respect among yourselves
i am deserving
of that same respect

i am tired of having to explain myself 
i don’t need to explain myself
i don’t want to explain myself

No
is No!