Resistance to NO

Probably one of
The first words
I ever heard
As a child
Was a resounding
NO! NO!
Uttered by either
My mother or father.
It seemed like the world
Was full of things
That I couldn’t do
Or shouldn’t do,
But that didn’t stop me
From trying to
Do them anyway.
I was instinctually
Drawn to test the limits
And to ask why not.
It must be a genetic trait
Because I noticed
The same thing
To varying degrees
In each of my kids.
As I entered the university
I began to explore
The meaning of no,
And learned that it
Didn’t often stand up
To perseverance.
Even to this day,
I still take no
As a challenge
And resist it
With all my might.