"No!" - Bahamas AI Art
©A. Derek Catalano
Just Say No and Mean It
(Say No To Temptation)
(Say No To Temptation)
In shadows deep where whispers dwell,
A quiet choice begins to swell.
A moment's lure, a fleeting flame,
A test of heart, a choice to claim.
Temptation comes with honeyed voice,
Disguised as thrill, devoid of choice.
It wraps its chains in velvet lies,
Promising stars, but stealing skies.
It beckons softly, “Just one time,
A harmless step, no upward climb.”
But know this truth, it does not fade—
A single seed, a forest made.
Stand firm in the eye of stormy pleas,
Be grounded like the rooted trees.
For strength is born in saying no,
And wisdom’s light begins to grow.
The law is more than words of stone,
It safeguards life, it’s not alone.
To bend it once, to break it twice,
Is to gamble with a heavy price.
What of honor, your name held high?
What of peace, the untroubled sigh?
When paths diverge, and doubts persist,
Remember your dreams—how they insist.
Each “no” is a shield, a beacon bright,
A guard against the fall of night.
Say no to theft, to greed, to crime,
To shortcuts carved in fleeting time.
Say no to whispers of darker deeds,
To envy’s thorns, to selfish needs.
Say no to anger, to reckless dare,
To paths where justice is stripped bare.
Yet saying no is not just refrain—
It’s choosing life over fleeting gain.
It’s saying yes to things that last,
To future joys, not shadowed past.
Say no with courage, say no with pride,
To every pull that sways the tide.
Say no to shadows that block the sun,
And mean it, for the battle’s won.
Think of the hearts that beat for you,
The ones who trust the things you do.
Their faith, their hope, their steady light,
Are tied to you—so choose the right.
And if you stumble, if you fall,
Remember: strength is in the call.
To rise again, to start anew,
To say no louder, firm and true.
For life is more than fleeting thrills,
Or bending rules for fleeting wills.
It’s love, it’s honor, it’s steady hands,
That build the bridges, not the sands.
So when temptation taps your door,
And whispers, “Why not? What’s one more?”
Stand tall, stand firm, and don’t submit—
Just say no, and mean it.
A quiet choice begins to swell.
A moment's lure, a fleeting flame,
A test of heart, a choice to claim.
Temptation comes with honeyed voice,
Disguised as thrill, devoid of choice.
It wraps its chains in velvet lies,
Promising stars, but stealing skies.
It beckons softly, “Just one time,
A harmless step, no upward climb.”
But know this truth, it does not fade—
A single seed, a forest made.
Stand firm in the eye of stormy pleas,
Be grounded like the rooted trees.
For strength is born in saying no,
And wisdom’s light begins to grow.
The law is more than words of stone,
It safeguards life, it’s not alone.
To bend it once, to break it twice,
Is to gamble with a heavy price.
What of honor, your name held high?
What of peace, the untroubled sigh?
When paths diverge, and doubts persist,
Remember your dreams—how they insist.
Each “no” is a shield, a beacon bright,
A guard against the fall of night.
Say no to theft, to greed, to crime,
To shortcuts carved in fleeting time.
Say no to whispers of darker deeds,
To envy’s thorns, to selfish needs.
Say no to anger, to reckless dare,
To paths where justice is stripped bare.
Yet saying no is not just refrain—
It’s choosing life over fleeting gain.
It’s saying yes to things that last,
To future joys, not shadowed past.
Say no with courage, say no with pride,
To every pull that sways the tide.
Say no to shadows that block the sun,
And mean it, for the battle’s won.
Think of the hearts that beat for you,
The ones who trust the things you do.
Their faith, their hope, their steady light,
Are tied to you—so choose the right.
And if you stumble, if you fall,
Remember: strength is in the call.
To rise again, to start anew,
To say no louder, firm and true.
For life is more than fleeting thrills,
Or bending rules for fleeting wills.
It’s love, it’s honor, it’s steady hands,
That build the bridges, not the sands.
So when temptation taps your door,
And whispers, “Why not? What’s one more?”
Stand tall, stand firm, and don’t submit—
Just say no, and mean it.
©A. Derek Catalano/ChatGPT
