A Gentle Soul

It’s not that I don’t engage, I just know where my boundaries rest. It’s not that I stay distant, I just choose not to cross lines I regret. It’s not that I can’t laugh out loud, I just refrain from mock that injures a soul. It’s not that I hold myself back, I just believe some limits make a person great. It’s not that I don’t feel deeply, I simply guard what I know can overflow. It’s not that I fear the world, I just move cozily and happily along it. For I have learned— not every moment needs a reaction, not every word deserves a reply. Sometimes strength is in restraint, sometimes wisdom is passing by. And if I choose silence over noise, or kindness over carelessness, it’s not that I lack expression, I just carry a quieter, gentle soul