How to Say No
Thank you for thinking of me!1 I’d love to2, but I have social anxiety.3 Maybe Sometime I’ll think about it I guess we could4 I don’t really like that5 I don’t want to6 No.7
1 Slide a dull knife across the whetstone.
2 Make the first cut.
3 Slice through the root.
4 Papery layers. See also: How to undress an onion.
5 The skin is pliable. Peel it away.
6 The bare truth–pungent and raw.
7 The tender legacy I leave my daughter.
Cathy Socarras Ferrell is a poet, writer, and educator from Central Florida. The granddaughter of Cuban immigrants, she finds inspiration in family story-telling, walking (anywhere), and the Sandhill cranes in her yard. Her work can be found at The Orchards Poetry Journal, Santa Clara Review, Compulsive Reader, and other literary journals. She is an alumna of the Tupelo Press 30/30 Project, and is an Associate Editor for table//FEAST Literary Magazine. Cathy has served the community as a public school educator since 2006. She has taught in Early Childhood classrooms, supported secondary students with reading challenges, and mentored beginning teachers. She currently serves as an education consultant and high school literacy coach. Readers can connect with Cathy at ferrellwords.com.