Boundaries

by Cheryl Merrick
Boundaries quietly
define who I am:
What I like
and what I don't;
What I can do
and the things I can't;
What tires me
and what energizes me;
What drains me
and what fulfills me.

Boundaries
garner my time
and energies,
and allow relationships
to deepen,
as they provide stillness
to restore my soul.


Boundaries
insulate me from
the crass and crude,
and protect me from
the onslaughts of crowds
and the ever rushing world,
as they create for me
a sanctuary of peace.